Why do people self medicate
By Wendell J Montney at Kairos Healthcare
PleaseÊvisit Mr. MontneyÕs Site for more information at www.kairoshealthcare.com
Ê
Self medication is a theory about why people use drugs. It is not the only theory and it may not be the best explanation of why people use drugs. However, for the sake of discussion it should be noted the self medication hypothesis suggests people select their chemicals according to an underlying psychological condition.
Ê
Addiction in this theory is therefore the result of the psychological issue and not an issue in and of itself. Deficits are the factor upon which use, abuse and dependence to a drugs or alcohol occur.
Ê
It is important to understand there are certainly individuals who have mental health concerns among those who use alcohol or drugs. It is estimated to be as high as 60-80% depending on the study. This means 20-40% who appears to have no mental health concerns at all. Self medication theory does not explain this issue.
Ê
Under this theory a person who may have a dysphoric moodÊ would naturally be attracted to stimulants such as cocaine, amphetamine or methamphetamine. Those who have manic issues would be attracted to more depressant chemicals such as barbiturates, opiates or alcohol.
Ê
In this theory the suggestion is your drug of choice is not a random happening but rather a compensation for the underlying psychological disorder. When the drug is introduced there is a relief in relationship to the disorder. The relief is what supports the dependency to the drug or alcohol.
Ê
Some people get into difficulty because they use uppers to elevate their mood then compensate for this mood with depressants. This cycle can be extremely problematic because it is almost never possible to regulate osculation of chemically induced moods.
Ê
When we consider this theory we also have to explain what is happening when individuals use mind altering drugs such as inhalants, psychedelic drugs or even marijuana. There appears to be no underlying psychological disorder explaining selecting these as the drug of choice.
Ê
There seems to be at minimum anecdotalÊevidence there are people who use medications because of underlying conditions. Those with post-traumatic stress disorder are known to self medicate but there are also many people with emotional traumatic events who do not share the diagnosis who self-medicate.
Ê
It would not be fair to assume all who use drugs are doing it to self medicate. It would be equally unfair to assume people are NOT using because of a psychological issue. The important issue here for someone who is dependent on a specific chemical is to get the appropriate psychiatric evaluation to determine if there is a disorder for which medication is recommended.
Ê
You might ask, ÒWhat is the difference if I medicate my symptoms or if I have a Psychiatrist medicate my symptoms?Ó There are many reasons to prefer the latter.
- Street drugs are not always as you think. Many times they are cut with other chemicals. Pharmaceuticals are manufactured to strict standards.
- You can create an out of control cycle of moods by your own selection of drugs. Moods can be regulated with the help of a discerning psychiatrist.
- There are many effects (side-effects) of the street drugs you may be attempting to handle. A psychiatrist will help you find the best medication with the least side-effects.
Ê
There are people who take medications for other than psychological issues. In the case of people who are medicating physical pain. They often find themselves in a place where the medication may not be taking the pain away. As a result, they may increase their medication or look for other drugs to take away the pain.
Ê
This set of users may or may not have underlying psychological issues. Why do people self medicate? What we can conclude is simple. People want to avoid pain and they seek to maintain pleasure. It is possible for THIS reason people seek to medicate through alcohol and drugs.
(Bio Info @ http://www.kairoshealthcare.com/wendell-montney)
Ê
Ê
Related articles
- Adolescents With Prescriptions (addictionts.com)
- Self-medication of Anxiety: Some Statistics (addictionts.com)
- Self-Medicating Increases Risk of Substance Abuse Problems (addictionts.com)
Incoming search terms:
- no self medication please
- self medication theory of addiction
- why do people self medicate
