Reasons For First Time Use In Addiction
What is one type of reason a person might try substances for a first time?
curiosity, peer pressure, wanting to fit in, stress, experimentation
What does it mean when a substance mimics a mental health symptom?
The substance causes effects that can look similar to symptoms of a mental health disorder.
After someone has stopped using, what is one common reason they might use again?
A trigger, craving, stress, fear, influence, emotional distress, or being around substances.
What is co-dependency?
A relationship pattern in which someone becomes excessively focused on another person's problems while neglecting their own.
Name one way in which poverty can increase someone's risk of substance use.
Financial stress, unemployment, unstable housing, lack of resources, or limited access to treatment.
A person starts using because everyone in the friend group is using, and they don't want to feel left out.
Peer pressure/social influence
Name one substance that can cause anxiety, paranoia, agitation, or panic-like symptoms.
Someone says "I thought I could use just once and control it." What recovery concept does this demonstrate?
Overconfidence, minimizing the risk of returning to use.
A family member repeatedly makes excuses for someone's substance use and covers up their mistakes. What is this behavior commonly called?
Enabling.
How can chronic financial stress affect someone's emotional and mental well being?
It can increase stress, anxiety, hopelessness, and feelings of insecurity.
How can trauma, grief, or difficult life experiences contribute to someone's first use?
A person might use substances as a way to cope with emotional pain, escape numb feelings, or manage stress.
Stimulants can cause increased energy, racing thoughts, decreased sleep, and impulsive behaviors. What mental health conditions can these symptoms sometimes resemble?
Bipolar Disorder, Schizoaffective Disorder (Bipolar Type)
What is a trigger and how can it contribute to returning to substance use?
A trigger is something that makes an urge or craving to use, such as a person, place, memory, or situation.
What is the difference between supporting someone and enabling them?
Supporting encourages healthy recovery while enabling removes healthy consequences and allows that addictive behavior to continue.
Why can unstable housing make recovery more difficult?
It can make it harder to maintain routines, sleep consistently, attend treatment, avoid triggers, and maintain a stable recovery environment.
Someone says "I only tried it because I wanted to see what it felt like."
Experimentation leads to repeated use, especially if the substance produces pleasurable effects or is associated with coping.
Name 2 mental health symptoms that could potentially be caused or worsened by substance use.
Anxiety, depression, paranoia, hallucinations, irritability, insomnia, or mood changes.
Someone gets into an argument, becomes angry, and thinks "Using will calm me down". What happens between the emotion and the decision to use?
The person used the substance as a coping mechanism instead of using a healthier coping strategy.
Give one healthy boundary someone could establish with a person struggling with addiction.
Refusing to give money for substances, not lying for them, or refusing to cover their responsibilities.
How can limiting access to transportation or health care treatment contribute to addiction?
Barriers can make it harder to receive consistent treatment, medication, counseling, recovery support, or other services.
Why is it important to understand the reasons behind someone's first use rather than simply judging the decision?
Understanding the underlying factors to help identify triggers, address unmet needs, and develop healthier coping strategies.
Why is it important for treatment providers to determine whether symptoms are caused by substance use, mental health symptoms, or both?
Because accurate assessment helps determine appropriate treatment. A person can have both a substance use disorder and a mental health condition.
A person returns to their old neighborhood, reconnects with people they used to use with, experiences stress, and decides to use again. Identify the triggers that contribute to the use.
Environmental triggers, social triggers/old relationships, stress, cravings, lack of coping strategies, and returning to a high risk environment.
Why can trying to control another person's addiction become unhealthy for the person trying to help?
One person cannot control another person's recovery. Focusing on controlling them can lead to stress, resentment, loss of personal boundaries, and neglect of one's old needs.
How can addiction and poverty create a cycle that is difficult to break?
Substance use can contribute to job loss, debt, housing problems, and other financial difficulties. Stress can contribute to continued substance use.