Substances Sneaking Up On You

Many Australians use substances recreationally: alcohol, illicit drugs, over the counter or prescription medications being used for non-medicinal purposes. Substance use disorder affects 3.3% of Australian adults every year. [1]

Many people use alcohol within safe limits, however for others, alcohol use has become problematic and once alcohol use has grown to addiction, it can have a cascading impact on the person’s life, work, relationships, health and sense of self; and can be difficult for them to find a way through it.

Substance Use

For many people who do develop an addiction, whether it be to alcohol, or other substances, it started as a coping mechanism, as an escape, or social use which became unmanageable. However, we don’t always recognise the maladaptive use until it has spiralled out of control and is now dominating our lives. For some, this will be a private use, and they live with secrecy and shame. For others it’s big, and loud, and public.

Many people in our society use substances – in some industries and community groups it’s almost a rite of passage. In many areas of our society it is socially acceptable to use substances and sometimes it is almost expected.

Some workplace and family cultures can make it harder for those who wish to abstain from using alcohol to do so. It can feel as those if you don’t join in at after work drinks, then you’ll be ostracised; some people report they feel peer pressure to ‘just have one!’ even as adults. This can lead to people using more and more while not necessarily being aware of the patterns and effects of their use.

Often co-occurs with anxiety and depressive disorders

Substance use problems often co-occur with anxiety and depression – sometimes the person is using substances to self-medicate and, at other times, the overuse of substances can lead to or exacerbate anxiety and depression. It is important to know that if a person is experiencing these issues co-occurring, they should get support and treatment for all of the conditions to optimise their chances of recovery.

Coping strategy

In my work I observe many people reporting alcohol use as a coping strategy for the stress which builds up managing their multiple roles, and as a way to get through the week. Others report they use it for anger, anxiety, boredom, fear, frustration or shyness.

Using alcohol as a coping mechanism can be risky. Memes about ‘it’s wine o’clock somewhere’ normalise the use of alcohol as a coping mechanism by encouraging others to have a drink to get over a bad day. Alcohol may numb us, but it doesn’t actually help us. Not in the short term or long term in terms of our mental wellbeing.

Individuals and organisations can tackle unhealthy cultures around alcohol use by proactively developing healthy coping strategies for stress, rather than relying on alcohol, and to become a more conscious consumer and supplier of alcohol.

Image: Robert Mathews (Unsplash)