Are you abusing drugs or alcohol?

Drugs and alcohol can be very seductive. When you feel stressed, angry, lonely, hurt, tired, bored or anxious using substances can bring you immediate relief. The undesirable moods are quickly eliminated and you feel better. As a result you may start to rely on alcohol and drugs to cope.
If you find that you spend time planning to get drugs or alcohol to feel better you may want to examine whether you rely on them too much. Often people close to you may be useful in giving you feedback. It is not easy to face this issue. However, it means that you can search for other ways to cope with difficult emotions.
Exercising, meditating, journaling and talking to a professional may help you realize you are stronger than expected and can learn to cope with tough emotions without relying on substances. The benefits of not relying on substances to cope are enormous. Your health, work performance, relationships, communication with others and especially your self-esteem will improve.
Thank you.