From Escape to Empowerment: Breaking the Cycle of Self Medication

When Coping Goes Off Course

Sometimes it starts off harmless. A few drinks after work to unwind. A hit, a pill, or a line here and there to "take the edge off." A little something to push away the anxiety, the sadness, the thoughts we can’t shake even if just for a little while. It can just feel like escape from the grind and a relief from the stress and boredom of it all. It’s fun, and at first, it feels like it works, perhaps even looking like the answer we were always looking for. That rush, that high, that relief, the escape—it feels like a solution.

But over time, what once felt like freedom can slowly, gradually and insidiously turn into a trap. The thing we used to escape becomes a restriction, a burden or a proverbial weight around our neck. All along, underneath it all, the problems we tried to avoid are still there—only now, they’ve slowly grown louder, messier, and harder to face because of neglect and avoidance over time. Resources like time and money have increasingly gone into this escape instead of going toward the needs of day-to-day reality.

Going forward there are two ways to view the upcoming discussion in this worksheet:

• For those wondering if this will happen to them, this discussion is about self-awareness and self-discovery

• For people actively trying to change their substance use habits, this discussion is about facing that turning point—not with blame or shame—but with honesty, insight, and new tools.

  
  

Learning real coping doesn’t numb us and it is not too difficult or out of reach for anyone. It just takes some time and effort to succeed. Real coping helps us move through life, not around it by breaking patterns of self-medication.

What is Self-Medication?

Self-medication refers to the use of substances (like alcohol, illicit drugs, or misused prescription medications) or behaviors (such as gambling, compulsive sex, overeating, excessive shopping, or internet use) to cope with emotional pain, psychological distress, trauma, or other psychological stressors or mental health symptoms.

Self-medication is an attempt to soothe, escape, or numb uncomfortable feelings such as anxiety, sadness, loneliness, boredom, frustration, fear, anger, or shame. These behaviors may bring temporary relief or distraction but over time ultimately worsen the underlying problem, often leading to a cycle of avoidance, dysfunction, and sometimes addiction.

FULL INTERACTIVE WORKSHEET BELOW:

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