Self-medication is a common phenomenon that many people who have been struggling with addiction or recovery from drugs and alcohol experience. Addiction recovery can be a painful process, one that leaves you feeling low and depressed at times. When this happens, it’s easy to turn to substances like alcohol or drugs to cope with the emotions you’re experiencing. The difference between self-medication and addiction recovery is often unclear, which leads many people into relapse. In this article, we will look at how self-medication is different from recovery for substance abuse issues.
Difference Between Self-medication and Addiction
Most people believe addiction is a choice, but it’s actually not. An addict doesn’t know they are addicted until they’ve tried to stop and failed numerous times. Self-medication also isn’t about being in control; it’s about managing anxiety or mental issue that the person can’t cope with on their own. The difference between self-medication and addiction is recovery from drugs and substance abuse.
Self-Medicating
People who self-medicate may use substances as often as once per month or less frequently than weekly because of underlying emotional problems such as anxiety, depression, marital stress, or other issues that cannot be resolved themselves without professional help or supportive therapy sessions.
Addiction
An addict is someone who has lost control over their use of drugs and alcohol. They will continue to take substances even when it’s causing major problems in other areas of life such as employment, mental health, family relationships, etc. The substance abuse recovery process starts with a person stopping all drug or alcohol use for an extended period while they undergo treatment. Either way, self-medicating isn’t the same thing as addiction recovery. Still, both are dealing with substance abuse issues that they can’t resolve without professional help or supportive therapy sessions. Strategies for Dealing with the Tough Emotions Experienced During Recovery
Exercise
By getting your heart rate up and releasing endorphins, you can release pent-up emotions that are hurting recovery efforts.
Talking
Talking with people who understand how recovery from drugs or alcohol feels is a great way to release anxiety or depression. It’s important not to isolate yourself during recovery; even if you feel like there isn’t anyone in your life who understands what you’re going through, there certainly will be someone out there for whom this article may ring true.
Practice Meditation
Meditation can be an excellent way to release pent-up anger, frustration, and other emotions. It’s important not to let these feelings linger during recovery; the longer they’re allowed to stay in your system, the more likely you are that they’ll lead back into substance abuse recovery with a vengeance.
Seek Physical Therapy
Exercise is often prescribed for those struggling with depression or anxiety-related issues because it releases endorphins that have been shown to help lift moods. Physical Therapy can also be effective at lifting spirits when nothing else will seem to work- remember: use this treatment sparingly as there could be underlying causes of stress or pain in the body that need further treatment.
Read a Book
The acts of reading can help distract the mind from worries or depression. The adventure and romance found in novels have been proven to lift moods- just be sure not to read anything too heavy!
What does recovery from addiction recovery mean?
Recovery from addiction recovery is the process of changing your behaviors and habits to stop using drugs or alcohol. It’s important not to confuse recovery with self-medication, as this can lead back to substance abuse issues without you realizing it. Self-treatment for depression or anxiety might seem like a good idea at first glance. Still, ultimately these feelings will only worsen when they go untreated during recovery instead of better over time. The key difference between recovery and self-medication is that one requires abstinence while the other does not; what may be causing symptoms of depression could actually be underlying pain elsewhere in the body, which won’t heal until treatment has been found for it.
Self-Medication vs. Recovery
The difference between recovery and self-medication is that one requires abstinence while the other does not. When you’re recovering from addiction, it’s important to keep your distance from drugs or alcohol altogether. Self-treatment for depression or anxiety might seem like a good idea at first glance, but ultimately these feelings will only worsen when they go untreated during recovery instead of better over time.
When it comes to recovery from drugs or alcohol abuse, the important thing isn’t avoiding all of these substances but instead finding ways that make a recovery easier for you- through self-medicating if need be. Finding out how much substance can help you cope without bringing more harm than good is key during this process; you must take care not to just rely on them as your main form of recovery. If you need help to quit using drugs or alcohol, call us today to find a recovery program that’s right for you. Call us at 772-266-5320.
