Drug and Alcohol Abuse

One of the most important, difficult, and complex areas of mental health is the field of addiction. Research indicates that the vast majority of people who are addicted to drugs or alcohol have an underlying mental illness or significant emotional/psychological difficulty, and about half of people with mental illness will be involved with drugs or alcohol at some point, usually as a form of self-medication. Addiction is difficult to treat, and there is a good deal of controversy about the causes and best approaches to treatment of addiction.

Drug and alcohol abuse may be difficult to define. Opinions vary with people's values and beliefs. For some, any use of an illegal drug, and any use of alcohol with the primary purpose of intoxication constitutes abuse. For others, abuse is indicated by a negative impact in the individual's life, for example, the presence of several of the following signs:

  • failing in school or missing work
  • driving while under the influence
  • injuring oneself or others
  • developing illnesses
  • damaging relationships with friends and family
  • spending too much money
  • diminished interest in other activities
  • getting in repeated legal trouble
  • overdosing

Beyond abuse is dependence or addiction. Dependence is indicated by one or more of the following:

  • Severe on-going abuse
  • Inability to go without the substance
  • Need for greater and greater amounts (tolerance)
  • Complete lack of other activities
  • Cessation of relationships outside of those the individual uses with
  • Increasingly frequent use of the substance
  • Withdrawal symptoms
  • Other signs of possible abuse or dependence might include:
  • Hiding your use from friends and family
  • Forgetting what happened last time you used (black outs)
  • Trying to quit but not being able to
  • Using more than you intended to, repeatedly
  • Drinking yourself sick, repeatedly
  • Using first thing in the morning
  • Using several times a day
  • Going on binges (long nights, or several days, of heavy using)
  • Being told by others you have a problem