Why Do People Self Medicate?

Life in America is stressful. Every day, people have to deal with personal issues that push the limits of what they can handle. There’s also a group of people who have to deal with physical and emotional problems that make their lives unbearable at times. On the list of why do people self medicate, these two groups would rule the top of the list. Following is a more in-depth discussion about why people in these groups tend to abuse drugs and alcohol.

Why Do People Self Medicate?

As we indicated above, the two primary reasons people self medicate are to deal with stress and for symptomatic relief. When stress is the motivating factor, people are looking for an escape from their personal reality. In many cases, the issues they have involve problems at home, financial difficulties, and career issues. If the problems persist, the individual is likely to continue using substances to escape. Eventually, addiction will become the biggest issue in their lives.

The other answer to why do people self medicate involves addiction sufferers who are dealing with mental or physical disorders. Their disorders are real, giving them legitimate reasons to take addictive prescription drugs like anxiety medications. In many cases, their suffering drives them to veer away from their prescriptions for higher levels of relief. It’s dangerous, but it’s hard to blame someone for wanting to cope better with their issues. By the time they get to rehab, they’re prime candidates for dual diagnosis treatment.

About Dual Diagnosis Treatment

When there’s a combination of mental or emotional issues and addiction problems, treatment needs to address both problems simultaneously. Otherwise, the untreated condition will prompt relapses. When doctors provide psychological treatment in conjunction with substance abuse treatment programs, the patient is receiving dual diagnosis treatment. The process involves identifying the patient’s emotional problems, determining how it affects the addiction, then treating both.

Beaches Recovery – Making a Difference

At Beaches Recovery, we clearly understand why people self medicate. To make a real difference, we provide elite custom treatment services for each of our patients. In many cases, treatment starts with a detox program and finishes with aftercare services. In between, we offer the following options:

• Outpatient treatment
• Intensive outpatient treatment
• Partial hospitalization treatment
• Extended care inpatient treatment – more than 90 days
• Family counseling
• Nutrition education

While considering our assessment of why do people self medicate, you might better understand your own addictive behavior. At that point, we want you to think about getting help. If you can come to grips with the reality that you have an illness, then we can give you the support you need. Your recovery starts with one simple call to our Beaches Recovery facility in Jacksonville, Florida. You can speak with one of our professional staff members by calling 866.605.0532.