Does Anxiety Increase Risk of Drug Abuse?

The concept suspected by Manitoba researchers and written about in the Vancouver Sun is that those who have anxiety problems are more susceptible to drug abuse.

Another instance of research confirming common sense?

We can see primitive versions of this behavior in others and also in ourselves to varying degrees.  We get nervous or anxious about something and that causes us to overeat.  That is why they call it “comfort” food.   So why wouldn’t the same concept apply to drug use?  Of course it does.  Instead of food, a person may go for a beer.   Wouldn’t the same concept apply to a joint, or a harder drug for some people?  It is the same basic concept applied in of these cases – The avoidance or escape from pain!

The human brain is highly addictive.  We also know that the two greatest motivators for the human brain are getting pleasure and AVOIDING PAIN.

Feeling anxious is a sort of uncomfortable feeling – and that IS a kind of pain!

From The Vancouver Sun:

“The work by Manitoba researchers writing in the Archives of General Psychiatry, which followed close to 35,000 people, is one of the first to try to answer a longstanding question: Do anxietyridden people self-medicate because they are substance abusers, or do they become abusers because they selfmedicate?

“Self-medication in anxiety disorders confers substantial risk of incident substance abuse disorders,” wrote lead researcher Jennifer Robinson at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg and colleagues.”

There you have it! Of course, the researchers are on to something.  This is really nothing new.  It is obviously a part of human nature.  We have all experienced trying to escape from our feelings / problems by turning to chocolate, a drink,  or in many cases – something worse.  However, some personalities are more prone to doing this than others.  I think we all know that is true.

You can always submit your story to this site if you have one to share in this regard.  Keep all the information, including your name, anonymous!

Drug addiction is a serious problem.  This is just one of the many reasons why!

If you Know of someone who might find this information useful, please share on Facebook or: 

There are occasionally those circumstances where the individual’s abuse and/or addiction is in early enough stages where the drug addiction intervention process can be avoided.  The key is the family support issue and in many cases, this alleviates the need for any intervention services being brought into the picture.  The support of the family could be the difference between whether or not the individual quits using the substance and returns to a drug-free lifestyle.  The first key element of any family support is that you have to separate the love you have for the person from what will them and is in their best interests.

Ways to approach a drug addled individual

Remember first and foremost that you want to approach the suffering individual with compassion and let them know that they are hurting themselves the more they continue to pursue their current lifestyle.  In addition to that compassion, you do have to be firm and put the love that you have for that person to the side.  That doesn’t mean pulling the plug on your love for them.  It simply means that you should still make a loving suggestion here and there, but you want them to know that the love you have for them is what is propelling you to take action and try to turn things around for them.

The deeper that a person’s drug abuse and addiction runs, the less they are able to control what they are.  Eventually, their addiction will control every aspect of their life, from the time they awake in the morning until they fall asleep at night.  In many instances, this “tough love” concept combined with the support of the family is what proves to be the most beneficial to turning addicted individual’s lives around.  The sooner you are aware of the problem, the sooner you will be able to take action and avoid the need for a drug addiction intervention.

About our US website

We developed our website to not only help addicted individuals in their struggles but to provide inspiration, information, and hope for them and their families as well.  It is our goal to always be compassionate and understanding while offering advice and suggestions that can help addicted individuals and the ones who love them in there situations.

“The problem is not the addiction itself but the deeper issue of how the person sees himself. I believe we need more programs to assist people to see the greatness in themselves, to build up their sense of self worth, to discover that they too occupy a valuable place on this planet.

No one is here by accident. We all have the opportunity to start again IF the individual really wants to improve their life. Help will always appear if the want is there. David, you are a beacon in the dark for those who want to live in the light.”

Thank you Linda.  Your words are very powerful and I believe they will help people who come to visit this site.   And I agree with you – many times what is hidden behind an addiction is an insecurity or low self-esteem.   Sometimes, there may be other things at play.  But many times it very well could be an insecurity and a person’s sense of self worth. 

I had a friend who was a psychologist and most of his practice was based on improving a person’s self worth.  He had techniques that people could use to improve their self esteem.  Some of his ideas were very interesting…

  Thank you again Linda. 

To All:  Please submit your comments, ideas and / or stories about drug and alcohol addiction / abuse here.

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Let's Trade....

Years after I left my home town I returned only to learn about some really sad stories.  I kind of felt left out of the crowd a lot of times when I was growing up.  Sometimes I was in, sometimes out.  But that is OK, because what I learned about some of the things happening there is a bit MORE than scary.

Perhaps when you read this, you will think I was naive.  Or perhaps you will be as shocked as I was.  There was a neighborhood in my school district that was a bit far away from mine, yet the kids there were into some heavy stuff. 

As it turns out, those kids, which were mostly male as far as I know, would trade sex to other kids for drugs.  I imagine they also traded sex with adults for drugs too.  

Even as I think of it now, it makes me very uncomfortable to know that was going on.  Who knows the extend of it?  I only heard that little bit.   The identities of the people involved are not important nor would I ever disclose them even if I did know the names of those involved.   But my heart is saddened by the news of these stories. 

If you know of stories like this one,  please share them anonymously (of course).  The reason to share them is to help others understand the vulnerabilities that drug addictions create in us.  We have to help others to understand.  In that way, we may be able to prevent more sadness like this.  

Human beings should live with dignity and not be subjected to having sex with someone they don’t want to have sex with, just for the sake of feeding an addiction.   Sex was created to be an act of love and procreation, it is not or should not be an item of commerce to obtain drugs and / or alcohol in order to feed a sick addiction – or feed the depravity of a dealer for that matter.  

Drugs Mutilate and Kill

I thought this Slide Show on drug and alcohol abuse was pretty cool.  I know it is a little gruesome to watch, but it is good to be aware of what can happen.  After all, that is what this site is all about.

I think this slide show is a great educational piece about the consequences of drug and alcohol addiction.  When I watched the movie: Leaving Las Vegas, I was extremely depressed.  I felt awful.

I think it was the uncomfortable feeling that comes from watching someone throw his life away. In that movie, Nicholas Cage portrays a man bent on self destruction. His goal is to intentionally drink himself to death.   I still don’t like thinking about the movie to this day.

But again, it is really, really important to understand where walking down the path of addiction can take you.   Check out the slide show and then come back here to leave your comments, please.

Click Here to See the Slide Show
 (scroll down the page a few inches to see the show, it starts automatically)

Pretty crazy, right?  Well, let me know your thoughts after watching this slide show – please leave your comments below.

-Dave

I didn’t understand the total scope of control that the world of drugs and the insiduous nature of addiction has over the victim.

When I  found out the rest of the story, and the plans of the company to fire this individual -everything started to make sense.

 If  his story  did not have such a heart wrenching effect- I probably would have given up.  Instead I started praying.

Everything quickly came to a conclusion without me ever saying a word. The drugs become a thing of the past. That person, from out of the blue, looked me in the eye and said “THANK YOU!”

-anonymous

Anyway, this friend had a drug and alcohol addiction which is very common among people in his field.  He wanted to defeat this addiction. What finally worked for him was the meditation practice calledFalun Dafa.  He said this is what allowed him to beat his addiction despite constant exposure to others who lived in that fast paced world.

If you know someone who is suffering from an addiction that is super hard to shake (aren’t they all?) then maybe Falun Dafa meditation is the answer you have been looking for.  It’s just one method – different answers work for different people.  Freedom from addiction would be very much worth it.

-David

I have many stories to share and it is my hope that others will anonymously post their stories – good and bad – about drug and alcohol use and abuse.  I hope that we can build an online storehouse of drug and alcohol related stores to serve as information, warning and a beacon of light to those who would like to escape addiction or those who love someone they want to help. 

It’s not easy to beat a strong addiction.  Perhaps a list of drug rehab centers would help.  Alcohol addicitons, while perhaps legal, are no less of a challenge. In some ways, they could be more of a challenge because of the legal status of alcohol.  Therefore, a list of alcohol rehab centers may also be useful.   You may find plenty of the same centers on both lists which serves to even further underscore that an addiction is an addiction and alcohol is simply another drug. 

Therefore, I encourage all to share their anonymous stories – please change names to protect all parties and leave out or change anything that could identify someone.  We are here to share the story, not the person behind the story.  If you are a doctor or counselor that works in the field, please feel welcome to share your stories, good or bad, about drug and alcohol abuse or anything related as well.  Everyone is welcome to post their anonymous stories about drug or alcohol abuse.   

Please click here to share your anonymous stories here.