WHAT IS SUBSTANCE ABUSE?
What is it? I know in my own personal life I'm abusive towards many things. If you have an addictive personality, you're probably going to have a problem with more than one thing. It's sad, but it's reality. The truth is, once you cross that line between moderation and addiction, your life suddenly becomes dependant on those things, and including those things in your everyday life.
So what is it exactly? Substance abuse is using something far beyond the realm of moderation. Once you cross that line, there is no going back unless you deal with it directly.
How many of you NEED to drink coffee in the morning just to wake up?
How many of you chain smoke a pack a day?
How many of you come home from work and start drinking immediately?
There is a very fine line between moderation and abuse. If you can go days or even weeks without something and be perfectly comfortable without it, then you're most likely fine. But if you start freaking out if you can't have it, you're abusing it.
I couldn't make it a day without smoking. I drank almost everyday when I was a smoker. If I was at a bar, I was gambling. I was drinking coffee every morning, and sometimes in the afternoon. I was a substance abuser. I'll admit it right now.
It used to be my everyday life. It consumed me. Every hour of the day I was thinking about them. They controlled me. There was absolutely no way I could've handled them in moderation. I crossed the line, so once I did that, there was no going back.
You can't smoke a pack of cigarettes a day and suddenly decide to drop to one a day and expect everything to run smooth. It won't. You won't be able to do it.
Why?
Because you crossed that line of moderation.
EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE - This is what happens to you once you becoming physically and emotionally addicted. You might not even realize anything is wrong. However, other people will notice and these are the things they'll probably see take effect in YOU.
DEPRESSION AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE - Once they have taken over your life, it's easy to fall victim and feel emotionally drained and depressed. A lot of it is mindset, and it might take some sheer willpower to change things around for the better.
CAUSES OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE - These can range from anything, to parental influence, friends, work environment, and social media and all things related to the Internet. Things in moderation, especially the legal ones, are looked at as cool by the media. It's hard to see past the big picture.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION - These are the steps taken to ensure relapse doesn't happen again. Once the user establishes themself as an abuser and goes to the next step to better themself, there are things they must do or not do to prevent relapse. It's not easy. Once you cross that line, it's going to be a long journey back to recovery. But where there's a will, there's a way.
TEENAGE SUBSTANCE ABUSE - Learn about what struggles they face on a daily basis. It's not just for aging adults. I began smoking when I was 17, and most start even earlier than that, so it's a real issue that's out there. Plus there are many, many things out there that aren't considered illegal that teenagers use. Since they can't legally buy alcohol or cigarettes, they look to other things that ARE legal to buy, like OTC products.
