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Why are drugs/alcohol the only coping mechanism that seems to work for me, when everything else just doesn't seem to cut it ?

8 Answers
Last Updated: 04/18/2016 at 4:28am
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
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Melissa Strauss, LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor

I am client focused and believe everyone has a strength. I feel confident in seeing clients with generalized and social anxiety, depression and relational goals.

Top Rated Answers
JeremiahA
April 20th, 2015 6:27pm
Drugs have an effect on your brain via neurotransmitters, it's like tweaking the way a machine works. They work, but this isn't a fix/solution, it's just putting up a temporary block. Using drugs can actually make this problem worse for you as it's just dragged out, drugs can also seriously damage your neurological pathways leading to altered behavior and other mental disorders. I'm not sure what you're going through but, confronting what it is directly and facing your emotions will get you better results, it's just going to take some time. Don't let that scare you off, time will pass no matter what.
peaser0712
March 6th, 2015 10:08am
Because drugs, alcohol whatever the vice is a fast, easy and available way to numb/detach yourself (at least temporarily) from whatever demons you are dodging. Changing is hard, drinking is easy.
brilliantSoul17
March 7th, 2015 11:51pm
One of the things that I've learned is that you *need to want to change* in order for other ways of coping to work. If you always focus on how things may end up worse in the end, it'll be much more difficult to see the progress you are making.
Dannus
April 25th, 2015 11:53pm
Drugs and alcohol are strong substances, that can cut deep and cover those feelings, other legal substances often will not make you feel the same way, however seeking help from your doctor could lead to more therapeutic techniques such as counselling, psychotherapy, group sessions, or even prescribed medication.
Anonymous
June 22nd, 2015 10:55am
In my experience, which spanned about a decade, drugs made it easy to quickly change how I was feeling. Alcohol was the same way. It was easier to just numb myself to what I was actually feeling or going through and to hide behind substances. The more I took or drank, the more I would be able to escape. Unfortunately i found myself needing more and more to achieve the same feeling. It is only a temporary escape and leads to deeper and darker roads.
comfortingSound30
June 22nd, 2015 11:15pm
Drugs and alcohol may keep the pain at bay for a day, or even a longer time; especially when the problem just sticks it's ugly butt up once-in-a-while, but problems that have magically disappeared by using the aforementioned substances have a very tenacious attitude to reoccur at a later date. Taking said substance is the easy choice out, basically you are postponing the problem. You will not be free of your problems untill you have solved them in a real world situation. Drugs and alcohol provide only temporary relief, and have a tendency to give you other problems. Obviously there are people who are high-functioning alcoholics and there are also people who can function fine with other substance dependencies, even for long times, but ultimately it's playing a game of catch-up. So feeling like you are dealing with issues OK, while on something will only delay the unevitable IMHO. The long-term strategy is dealing with problems without the substances, and that is painful: Man cannot remake himself without suffering, for he is both the marble and the sculptor.
goldenPresence66
June 23rd, 2015 8:17pm
Well , I see that's because you haven't searched enough for other ways and drugs was on your mind as a first option and they're not coping coping is when u get over with your issues but drugs make u unconscious for awhile which means that it's just a temporary escape and you're not actually facing the problem wisely
ElsenCentrik
April 18th, 2016 4:28am
Sometimes when you feel like the pain you have in your life is so strong you just want to numb it all. often people find themselves reaching for the bottle or needle as it can give them that temporary numbing they are craving, but like any quick fix often the side effects are far worse. You can fix a plane with duct tape but it will only be a matter of time before you fall from the sky.