What Drives Someone To Substance Abuse?

By Author: Jennifer Lagrotte
Total Articles: 200
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When the topic of substance abuse comes up, most will start talking about what initiatives families and doctors have taken in order to help with a problem that has gotten out of hand. What most seem to focus on is what to do after the problem is firmly cemented in place; instead of looking at what could be done in order to prevent such problems. While it is true that most cannot look into the future and know for certain that someone they know will develop an addiction, it is also true that one can see the signs long before the addiction fully develops.

There are many reasons for someone to turn to substances. Whether they are street drugs, prescription drugs or alcohol, they are all avenues of escape from some form of pressure the individual is experiencing. Peer pressure is often seen as the common reason for teenagers to become involved in this. What parents and older people will forget is that these teenagers may be experiencing stress from other sources, such as from problems in the home. It can sometimes take a few shoves from different sources for a younger person to turn to this kind of life. For older people, ...
... and younger as well, the job or constant feeling of failure can be a couple of the big reasons for looking to substance abuse. Of course, depression, anxiety and over all unhappiness can all lead to one looking for something that can offer them some form of relief. By this point, the consequences of their actions or choices are not going to be foremost in their mind, because the extreme stress and pressure they are feeling on a daily basis are simply too much.

Anyone who notices a sudden change in behavior of a loved one, friend or acquaintance should not quickly brush it off. This can be a subtle sign that life is becoming too much for them. The loss of a job, difficulties in one's relationships, trouble at school, loss of interest in activities they once enjoyed, depression and increased stress are all things that could lead one to break and seek a quick fix. Sometimes, taking the moment to encourage them to just seek some help from an online counselor or online therapist could mean the difference between a destroyed life and one that gets better. The online counselor can go a long way in helping the person handle their situation in a better way. The online therapist would be someone they could tell their worries to in confidence, and who could make a huge difference in their life. One may not realize how another individual may react to something. Only that individual knows what they have been through and how much stress they have dealt with. Consideration has to be given to the fact that the stressed individual may be closer to the edge than one may realize. What may seem a small issue to one may be just the push the other didn't need.
Dr. Jennifer Lagrotte, DMFT is the owner of CompleteCounselingSolutions.com which offers a variety of href="http://www.completecounselingsolutions.com/sessions.php">online counseling services. If you would like to know more about Jennifer or any of our online therapists, visit our website.