Self-medicating behavior involves taking unprescribed drugs or other substances to treat mental and medical conditions that have not been officially diagnosed or that have been diagnosed but are not being treated by an appropriate professional. It also refers to the irregular use of a prescribed drug to treat a current or chronic illness. The act of using recreational and psychoactive drugs and/or alcohol is sometimes seen as a form of self-medicating that attempts to treat or mask underlying anxiety, depression, trauma or other uncomfortable, intolerable or negative emotions.

Self-medicating to treat Emotional Distress

It is thought that a person who struggles with drugs or alcohol settles on a “drug of choice” because the drug of choice best treats or masks the particular internal issue(s) the person is having. Unfortunately using substances to treat underlying emotional distress only works in the short term. Using inappropriate substances for self-medicating mental illness usually leads to an increased intensity of the symptoms and/or will bring out other symptoms of the illness that did not already exist.

Depressant Drugs

Self-medicating with depressant drugs such as alcohol and benzodiazepines serves to promote relaxation and ease feelings of anxiety or depression. Depressant drugs are effective in the moment; but over time changes in brain chemistry caused by long-term use of depressant drugs make the problem symptoms even worse, creating a cycle of continued use to treat ongoing, worsening symptoms. Alcohol is often used to lower a person’s inhibitions. A person under the influence of alcohol might feel pleasurable, helpful emotions more intensely such as courage, affection and easiness around others. Self-medicating with depressant drugs might also occur in an attempt to treat sleep problems.

Marijuana

Self-medicating with marijuana might occur to treat anxiety, sleep problems or other issues. Marijuana is unique in that it has many effects including that of a stimulant (in long-term users), a depressant/sedative, a psychedelic, and anti-anxiety or anxiety-producing effects. A person with ADHD might use marijuana for self-medicating.

Opiates

Self-medicating with opiate drugs such as heroin or morphine helps reduce the perceived sensation of pain and increases one’s ability to handle pain. Opiates also serve to alleviate anger, aggression and rage. The short-term effects of opiates help stabilize a person’s mood and eliminate or reduce depression and anxiety. Depression, however, is most often self-medicated with depressants or stimulants.

Stimulants

Self-medicating with amphetamines, cocaine, methylphenidate (“meth”) or other stimulant drugs can cause increased mental and physical functioning, increased or maintained energy, bring on euphoric and pleasurable feelings, increase self-esteem and relieve depression and social anxiety. But as with other inappropriate drugs used to self-medicate, the effects are short-lived.

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Some alcoholism signs and symptoms are subtle and some are not. The longer a person has been struggling with alcohol, the more severe the signs become. The effects of alcoholism are pervasive and touch all aspects of a person’s life. Here are some clues that indicate a person is having a problem with alcohol.

Amount & Frequency

Alcoholism signs and symptoms always involve drinking too much. A person who is struggling with alcohol might drink heavily after a stressful event or when the person feels under pressure. Problems at home or on the job are often used as reasons for drinking.

When a person drinks too much for too long, the person will develop a tolerance to the alcohol. That means that more and more alcohol must be consumed in order to get the same effect. A person struggling with alcohol will often want to continue drinking even after everyone else is done. An alcoholic frequently drinks until the bottle is empty.

Drinking more often or earlier in the day are also alcoholism signs and symptoms. An alcoholic will feel like drinking earlier and earlier in the day, sometimes directly after waking up in the morning. This is often done to help ease alcohol withdrawal symptoms such as “the shakes”. An alcoholic on a bad “binge” might stay drunk for several days in a row.

After an episode of heavy drinking, an alcoholic might not remember some of the events that occurred during that time even if the person was conscious the entire time. This is called a “blackout”. Blackouts occur more often as a person’s alcoholism progresses.

Secrecy & Isolation

Lying about how many drinks one has had is another aspect of alcoholism signs and symptoms. An alcoholic might also physically hide while drinking so that no one will notice how many drinks he has really had. Eventually an alcoholic will begin avoiding family and friends completely when drinking.

Emotions

• An alcoholic might use alcohol to feel “normal”. The person might rely on alcohol to lessen shyness and increase self-confidence
• Depression is a common problem among alcoholics
• Fear, concern for self and feeling trapped might be felt by a drinker that knows he is no longer in control
• Feelings of being treated unfairly for no reason might exist in the drinker
• Guilt is a common emotion that a person struggling with alcohol will feel. The guilt is embedded deep in the person and is related to all aspects of the drinking
• Irritation is sometimes felt by an alcoholic when loved ones or friends make comments about the drinking
• Regret results when the person does or says things while drinking that he wishes he had not

Friends & Family

Friends and family of a person who is beginning to have problems with alcohol will usually comment on the alcohol consumption. They will notice that the person is drinking more than everyone else, is drinking more than before or is drinking more often. The alcoholic will begin to make promises to drink less or only drink at certain times. But the promises are never kept. Most alcoholics will lose their friends and possibly their family as the drinking worsens. If not isolating, the alcoholic will instead surround himself with other drinkers.

Work, Finances, Lifestyle

Alcoholism signs and symptoms include having problems at work or school, smelling of alcohol during the day, lost work or school days due to hangovers or accidents, losing jobs or dropping out of school. An alcoholic might think that changing jobs or where he lives will help fix his drinking problem. But it never does. Addiction to alcohol will follow the person everywhere until it is treated.

Someone struggling with alcohol addiction will tend to spend more and more money on alcohol, even to the detriment of other important financial responsibilities.

Making promises to self is another part of alcoholism signs and symptoms. The person hopes that if some structure is put in place around the drinking, then the drinking can be controlled. The person might vow to drink only on certain days or only after a certain time of the day; or the person might vow to drink only a certain amount. The structure never works and the alcoholic will fall back into his old patterns.

Health

For an alcoholic, alcohol takes precedence over everything else including food. Someone who is drinking too much will eat very little, have a generally poor appetite, have bad eating habits or might not eat at all. Finally, alcohol related accidents are part of alcoholism signs and symptoms. The odds of falling down or wrecking while driving while drunk increase the more a person drinks.

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Hallucinogen effects include a condition known as Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD). It occurs in some people who have used hallucinogen drugs. It can occur in people after one use of a hallucinogen drug but it generally appears and then gets worse with continued drug use. It is not possible to tell which hallucinogen users will develop HPPD. Diagnosing HPPD involves ruling out all other factors and medical conditions that also cause visual and sensory disturbances.

Hallucinogen effects of HPPD involve continued disturbances of sight or other senses. Disturbance of sight is the most common. A misconception is that HPPD is the occurrence of “flashbacks” but it is not. Flashbacks come and go; HPPD is persistent in nature. Hallucinogen effects resulting in HPPD have been reported with these drugs:

• 2C-E
• 2C-I
• Dextromethorphan (in high doses)
• Diphenhydramine (in high doses)
• DiPT
• LSD
• MDA
• MDMA
• Mescaline
• PCP
• Psilocybin
• Synthetic cannabis

Characteristics of HPPD

Hallucinogen effects of HPPD cause a variety of sensations for different people but the sensations are mostly visual since hallucinogens create mostly visual effects during use. Visual disturbances are not considered true hallucinations and people experiencing them are aware that what is being experienced is not consistent with reality.

Each person with HPPD will have different sensory disturbances from other people with HPPD. How often the disturbances occur and how intense they are varies from person to person. The disturbance being experienced might be a different disturbance every time. Some disturbances people have with the hallucinogen effects involved in HPPD are:

• Color of an objects or of the environment changing from one color to another
• Depersonalization and derealization
• Objects looking distorted from their actual shape
• Halos around objects
• Heightened awareness of floaters in the vision
• Motion trails occurring behind moving objects
• Problems with color recognition; colors blending into each other
• Seeing movement where there is none
• Textured appearance to the air (“snow”, “static”)
• Various auditory disturbances are far less common but do occur

Additional Hallucinogen Effects and Problems

Hallucinogen effects of HPPD sometimes occur along with anxiety, panic attacks, depersonalization disorder and depression. People diagnosed with HPPD report clear interactions among HPPD and their other mental health disorders. Lack of sleep and stress appear to increase HPPD symptoms as well.

Treatment of HPPD

There is no cure for the hallucinogen effects of HPPD so treatment focuses on reducing symptoms. Benzodiazepines, certain anticonvulsant medications, and some medications used in the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease appear to ease symptoms in some people. Learning coping strategies to deal with the persistent hallucinogen effects of HPPD is another focus of treatment.

The duration of HPPD varies among individuals so no specific time-frame for the resolution of the disorder has been identified. The condition is permanent is some people.

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Gaming addiction refers to the obsessive use of online and computer games. Similar to people with other psychological addictions, people with gaming addiction find it hard to stop the behavior. It interferes with their daily lives and causes them to neglect important responsibilities.

Concern about the addictive and destructive aspects of excessive video game use has been around since 1978 with the introduction of the game Space Invaders. Since that time, there has been public concern about gaming addiction due to occasional but ongoing reports of game related neglect, violence and death.

Is excessive gaming really an addiction?

Gaming addiction is based on the fact that some video games do indeed have addictive properties. For some people, especially men, games stimulate the built-in reward system that exists in a person’s brain. If a person who has an “addictive personality” uses gaming excessively to escape, zone out, relax or engage in virtual socializing, the risk of developing gaming addiction is higher.

The concept of gaming addiction is controversial though. There have not been enough conclusive studies completed in this area. Some professionals in the field of behavioral health believe that gaming addiction is really just a compulsion. They do acknowledge that the excessive use of gaming has elements to it that are similar to drug addiction or other psychological addictions such as gambling. But of the millions of gamers who engage in gaming excessively, very few actually fit the criteria for a true clinical addiction.

The diagnosis of “Video Game Addiction” was not included in the latest release of the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5), a comprehensive reference manual for mental health professionals in United States.

Some Behaviors and Consequences Associated with Gaming Addiction

• Decreased attention span when not gaming
• Inflated feelings of confidence, competence and satisfaction when gaming
• Need to lie about time spent on games
• Mood swings when not allowed or not able to engaging in gaming and/or when the game does not proceed as the gamer desires (winning for example)
• Personal neglect involving eating, hygiene and sleep
• Decreased physical activity
• Playing games at inappropriate times, such as at work
• Social neglect or isolation, preferring virtual relationships to real life relationships including those with family
• Decreased time spent studying or working
• Aggressive or violent behavior directly related to gaming

Treatment

Gaming addiction and compulsive gaming in general can be treated with psychotherapy. When appropriate, medications can also be used. When underlying mental health issues exist, those issues must be addressed as well. For people with severe gaming addiction, inpatient or outpatient care in an addiction treatment facility is sometimes warranted. Support groups such as Online Gamers Anonymous have shown some success in assisting people in recovery from gaming addiction.

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When a person is referred to as a “dry drunk” it means that the person is not drinking but is still displaying the attitudes and behaviors of his drinking days. Positive change and growth has not occurred in someone suffering from dry drunk syndrome.

The dry drunk does not fully embrace recovery and resists doing the work involved in it. When the work that is required for sobriety is not being done, even a person who has had successful recovery can revert back to his old ways, whether he takes another drink or not.

Characteristics of a Dry Drunk

An alcoholic who is not drinking but is displaying the same dysfunctions of his past is living with dry drunk syndrome. Here are some characteristics of a dry drunk:

• He is self-absorbed, believing he is highly important and is often a know-it-all.
• He might take a victim attitude.
• He is overly judgmental, thinks in terms of good or bad and is quick to find fault in others.
• He is impatient and intolerant of not getting what he wants when he wants it.
• He is impulsive without regard for consequences.
• He is indecisiveness and has difficulty affecting change in his life.
• He maintains dishonestly which increases over time.
• He is moody, overreacts to little things and cannot enjoy simple pleasures.
• He cannot show emotions easily, is detached and indifferent to everything.
• He cannot engage in genuine introspection.
• He is unfocused, easily distracted and experiences frequent boredom.
• He is nostalgic about the pleasures, fun and excitement of the “old days”.
• He admires certain personality traits or lifestyles that are not conducive to recovery.
• He engages in wishful fantasies as a means of escape.
• He attends 12-step meetings less and less, sometimes dropping out completely.

Why Does Dry Drunk Syndrome Happen?

When a person is forced or chooses to give up alcohol, the person experiences a very real loss. Grieving begins. Grieving occurs in stages that involve denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. A person with a strong desire to recover will eventually move through all of the stages of grief and embrace a happy, contented life without alcohol. A person who cannot get through the anger stage of not being able to use alcohol anymore will become stuck and develop dry drunk syndrome over time.

Dry drunk syndrome results in an unhappy, unfulfilled life for an alcoholic who is no longer using alcohol. A dry drunk is a danger to himself and to those who are genuinely seeking recovery. Family members of dry drunks often wish the person would start drinking again.

There is Hope

Dry drunk syndrome is not necessarily a permanent condition. By using all of the tools of recovery found in the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous and by committing himself to the Steps, a dry drunk can begin true recovery and experience all of the Promises of true sobriety.

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The damaging effects of alcohol on the body are not always obvious, especially in the early stages of addiction. Young people, too, often do not feel the effects of alcohol on the body because a young body is more adept at healing and recovering from the damage.

Over time the damaging effects of alcohol on the body will become apparent. The effects will vary in severity from person to person and are directly related to how long and how much alcohol has been or is being used. Overdose and death are among the many effects of alcohol on the body.
 

Effects on the Brain

The effects of alcohol on the body include its sedating and depressant effects on the central nervous system. Within minutes of begin ingested, alcohol penetrates all of the body’s organs, including the brain. Alcohol’s affect on the brain shows up as slowed or impaired thinking, memory, judgment, behavior and motor skills. The more alcohol is consumed, the more the brain and body are impaired. Alcohol can cause temporary and permanent brain damage and hallucinations. The very serious and sometimes fatal condition of delirium tremons (DTs) sometimes occurs in alcohol withdrawal.

Effects on the Heart

The heart’s electrical patterns become disrupted by the effects of alcohol on the body. A person’s heart rhythm and heart rate are disturbed by alcohol. Some alcoholics will develop a permanent heart condition called “cardiomyopathy” which will get worse over time whether the person stops drinking or not. If a person has an existing heart condition, alcohol use will compound the problem increasing the risk of heart failure.

Effects on the Liver

Alcohol is broken down and processed by the liver. Many alcoholics show the effects of alcohol in the body in liver damage. Three major liver diseases can result from chronic exposure to alcohol: Fatty liver disease which is reversible; alcoholic hepatitis; and cirrhosis of the liver which will eventually lead to death.

Effects on the Pancreas, Kidneys and Lungs

Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas tissue. Pancreatitis causes stomach pain and nausea, breathing problems and possibly pancreatic failure.

The effects of alcohol on the body include the disruption of hormones, so kidney function can be affected. Kidneys can become damaged and enlarged and will culminate in kidney failure over time if drinking is not stopped or decreased.

Fluid in the lungs creates a situation that makes it difficult for a person to get the proper amount of oxygen the body needs. An increase in the amount of fluid in the lungs is one of the effects of alcohol on the body and can lead to chronic lung infections.

Effects on Reproduction

Because alcohol affects the synthesis and utilization of certain hormones, the effects of alcohol on the body extend to a person’s reproductive system. Over time, the hormone disruptions will result in male impotence, female inability to get pregnant, loss of pregnancy or fetal alcohol syndrome if the baby survives.

Long-Term Effects of Alcohol on the Body

The effects of alcohol on the body are not always obvious. External signs such as slurred speech, falling down, poor judgment and drunken behaviors are easy to see. However, there is much more damage occurring inside a person due to the effects of alcohol on the body. The long-term outcome of chronic alcoholism is death unless professional treatment for alcohol addiction is sought and recovery is embraced.

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Addictive personality is a phrase often used to refer to a person’s tendency towards addiction. People who struggle with addiction appear to have certain personality traits in common. That cluster of personality traits seems to make a person more susceptible to addiction.

However, simply having a predisposition towards developing addictions will not cause an addiction to occur. Environment plays a part and acts as a trigger in the development of an addiction.
 

Addictive Personality Traits

Addictive personality traits have a genetic, inheritable component to them. A person who has abnormal levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine has a higher risk of addiction as well.

Here are some common personality traits identified in addictive personality.

Mental Health

• Belief system dominated by maladaptive attitudes and thinking errors
• Constantly switching from one addiction to another
• Past trauma, especially severe childhood trauma
• Severe pre-existing personality disorder

Relationships & Social Adjustment

• Difficulty trusting others including loved ones
• Disregard for socially acceptable goals of achievement
• Easily giving in to negative peer pressure
• Feeling socially alienated
• Insecurity in relationships
• Loneliness
• Tolerance for deviance
• Valuing nonconformity

Self Control & Emotions

• Compulsivity and poor self control
• Difficulty achieving long-term goals
• Excessive sensation seeking
• Heightened stress response
• Low self esteem
• Low tolerance for stress
• Poor coping skills
• Prone to depression, anxiety, anger, mood swings

Treatment

Treatment for addictive personality can include cognitive and dialectical behavioral therapy, distress tolerance, emotional regulation and mindfulness training, coping and self-soothing skills, relapse prevention and behavioral interventions, family therapy, aversion therapy, and social support.

Summary

Identifying and addressing the various personality traits involved in addictive personality aids in the treatment of addiction in general. As more research is conducting in the field of addictive personality, treatment professionals will be better able to design strategies to intervene on the traits and behaviors associated with addictive personality.

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Denial acts as an obstacle to recovery from drug or alcohol addiction. It does not allow a person to see the addiction problem for what it really is. Denial is self-deception. It is a protective mechanism that a person uses unconsciously every day in reaction to events, emotions or thoughts that he is not ready to deal with.

Although denial can be protective it can also work against a person’s wellbeing. It affects a person’s judgment and distorts the truth. Denial is what makes a person believe that he does not have a problem with drugs or alcohol. Addiction denial continues to grow even stronger as the addiction progresses.

Denial is Powerful and Pervasive

Most people who struggle with addiction have some degree of denial. Denial is powerful and hard to identify. To compound the problem, when a person is under the influence of drugs or alcohol his memory is impaired. He might not remember the negative aspects of an event involving drugs or alcohol, remembering only pleasant facts. Not remembering negative consequences only helps to reinforce his belief that the use is not a problem.

Further, denial about the existence of an addiction problem can also be found among a person’s family and friends. Excuses for the person’s problematic use will be developed. Excuses include statements such as “It’s just a bad habit, not an addiction.” or “He’s still successful at work so it’s not a problem.” or “He’s much more fun to be around when he’s had a few beers.”

It is imperative that denial be identified if one is to recover from addiction. Some ways in which denial is strengthened include:

• Blaming something or someone else for one’s problems
• Generalizing that everyone has a crutch or drinks excessively sometimes
• Hiding the use and related activities; hiding self or “staying low” after a negative episode
• Intellectualizing
• Looking for ways that one is different, unique or better than other people with addiction problems
• Lowering one’s values to accommodate the use
• Minimizing the problem; joking about the problem
• Passive-aggressive behaviors towards loved one when confronted about the use
• Putting one’s use in a positive light compared to someone else’s use
• Rationalizing that there is a good reason for the use
• Telling lies

Vigilance is Key for Long-Term Sobriety

Denial is so powerful and pervasive that even after years of sobriety, denial can begin to creep back into one’s perspective, ultimately leading to relapse. A person who is serious about his recovery will be on the lookout for signs of denial within him and will address the underlying issues immediately in order to protect his sobriety.

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Liver damage from alcohol takes many forms. The damage is a direct result of drinking too much alcohol as in the case of alcoholism. When alcohol is processed in the body, it passes through the liver to be detoxified. When the liver is exposed to too much alcohol for too long a period of time the liver becomes inflamed, cells die off and fibrosis or hardening of the liver cells occurs resulting in cell dysfunction. Fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis and cirrhosis are forms of liver damage from alcohol.

Fatty Liver Disease

Liver damage from alcohol can result in a condition referred to as fatty liver disease. Chronically drinking alcohol will cause triglycerides to accumulate in the liver cells as fatty globules. The condition sometimes begins to occur after only a few days of heavy drinking. Fatty liver is reversible if a person stops drinking alcohol. Some people will go on to develop liver cancer as a result of fatty liver disease.

Alcoholic Hepatitis

Liver damage from alcohol can also occur in the form of alcoholic hepatitis. The acute development of hepatitis can occur because of fatty changes in the liver. The condition is usually limited in duration and is reversible if alcohol consumption is stopped. Alcoholic hepatitis can lead to fibrosis and, subsequently, cirrhosis of the liver. Some people will die from alcoholic hepatitis.

Cirrhosis of the Liver

Severe liver damage includes a condition called cirrhosis. Cirrhosis includes swelling of the liver, fibrosis (hardening of the cells) and damaged cell membranes which impede cells’ normal functioning. Scarring of the liver tissue and death of liver cells is the result. The condition will lead to liver failure if alcohol consumption is not stopped. Hardening and scarring of the liver cells is not reversible but can be managed with cessation of alcohol consumption and proper treatment.

Causes and Risk Factors for Liver Damage from Alcohol

• Abnormal accumulation of iron in the body
• Drinking at times other than at meals
• Existence of Hepatitis C infection
• Female gender
• For men, drinking 75–100 ml/day for 20 years or more; for women, drinking 25 ml/day
• Genetic predisposition
• Malnutrition

Treatment

Liver damage from alcohol can be reversed, stopped or managed only when a person stops drinking alcohol. Without that first step, liver damage will get worse. Cessation of smoking and adding exercise into a person’s lifestyle will aid tremendously in healing liver damage from alcohol.

Nutritional Therapies

Once a person stops drinking, the liver damage from alcohol can be treated. One approach is dietary changes. The person’s diet should include a generous amount of calories, vitamins and minerals and frequent small meals high in protein and essential fatty acids.

Supplements that aid in treating liver damage from alcohol include carnitine, vitamin C, choline and glutamine. Some practitioners recommend supplementing the diet with specific anti-oxidants such as Milk Thistle; however, the effectiveness of such anti-oxidants has not been proven for certain.

Drug Therapy

Liver damage from alcohol must first be managed through the cessation of alcohol consumption and through addressing the nutritional aspects of liver healing. There are also medications on the market that can aid in the healing process such as corticosteroids, infliximab, pentoxifylline, propylthiouracil and colchicine. A drug therapy treatment plan must be tailored to each person by a qualified physician.

Transplant

Liver damage from alcohol can be so severe that no therapies are effective. The last option taken by some people is liver transplant. A person seeking a liver transplant must stop drinking alcohol completely for at least six months before being added to a liver transplant list. Transplant lists are usually long and in the worst cases the person will die before a donor becomes available.

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The effects of addiction on family of someone with a drug or alcohol problem can be damaging and long-term. Family often seeks to protect the person with the addiction. The family usually wants to hide the problem so people outside the family do not find out about it. Protecting and hiding the problem only serves to enable the addict to continue the addiction.

A Conflicting Situation

Problems within the family are often blamed on the person with the drug or alcohol addiction. At the same time feelings of guilt arise in family members because they know they are enabling the person but don’t know how else to deal with the situation. Families have many different emotions including feeling confused, frustrated, sad, angry, ashamed and embarrassed. The effects of addiction on family create a situation where family feels torn between helping or protecting a loved one and protecting themselves.

Strained Relationships

When a person is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the person will do and say things that might hurt other family members. Verbal, emotional, physical or sexual abuse might occur which will have a lasting impact on relationships within the family. Resentment breeds within the family. Some family members will choose to completely detach themselves from the problem; some will hold on too much, becoming entangled, in an attempt to help or stop the problem.

Family Healing Does Happen

The effects of addiction on family are definite and measurable. They cannot be denied. But when an addict receives treatment and begins to live life without relying on drugs or alcohol, the damage done within the family can be addressed and healed over time.

At first, the family won’t trust the addict to continue to stay sober. They are cautious about believing that their loved one will begin to live life “normally”. They are waiting for the next relapse to happen along with its subsequent chaos. After time has passed and the family sees their loved one is truly working to recover from addiction, family members begin to let their guards down. They begin to focus on being a family unit again, not just individual members trying to survive a bad situation.

Healing is a Process

It takes time for a family to settle out in this new environment where their loved one is no longer using drugs or alcohol. As the person in recovery continues to change and grow, the family is forced to change as well. Growth will be awkward at times, even painful. But the effects of addiction on family take time to resolve and work out. Along the way, family bonds will grow stronger and each member of the family will grow from the experience.

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