Substance abuse is defined as “A maladaptive pattern of substance use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by one (or more) of the following, occurring within a 12-month period:
- Recurrent substance use resulting in a failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home…” *1
It can be a horrible thing that can tear apart families, friendships, and destroy years of hard work. Even impacting your performance at work.
My friend, “Dee” is not yet ready to say, “My name is Dee and I’m a ‘substance abuser.’” She’s not even sure what the problem is exactly or if she has a problem at all. She’s being pushed and pulled by the substances, adding more and more to her life to compensate for her feelings of inadequacy, inferiority, and need for aggrandizement. Unfortunately, the feelings of inadequacy feed her need for aggrandizement. It’s a vicious cycle.
It first became a problem when Dee was in her formative years. There were many around her that were supposed to be guiding her and growing her, but she struggled with their leadership. Dee was left alone often…. The people in her life were busy doing things that seemed very important so Dee never spoke up. Instead she quietly endured the feelings of neglect and loneliness that she felt. She felt unworthy and unwanted by those that mattered most.
Once deeply rooted, those feelings of inadequacy grew inside of Dee.
Dee kept watching those leaders in her life and trying desperately to get noticed by them. Occasionally one of them would include her in their busy agendas but when she tried to participate, she was often hushed and quieted and left to passively take it all in. Not valued enough to participate, only to be a spectator.
Without really knowing, the adults in her life had started to teach Dee. She had watched them abusing substances for many years. All different kinds in fact. So when Dee was old enough to be on her own she began to do the same. What happened next locked Dee into a cycle of substance abuse: as she began to dabble in it, those closest to her accepted her more. The more she used, the more she felt accepted, so she used more. Eventually, Dee was no longer functioning at work or at home.
Instead, she had begun to be a drain on all those around her. Seeking substance to abuse. She began to create random programs with little substance at all, and abusing the programs by adding more and more. Her self-esteem seemed to grow as her need for aggrandizement began to be filled. Soon, she was acting like those others around her, always busy and never seeming to accomplish much—abusing substance….
Dee is in desperate need of recovery. She needs to have an intervention by those around her to help her break the cycle of abusing substance.
Your voice against substance abuse needs to be heard everywhere across America. Will you stand against substance abuse?
*Whoops. Thanks for catching the typo Katie.
*1 source: http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=24405
