Dangers of self medicating for depression and/or anxiety/stress disorders
The dangers of self medicating for depression & anxiety are more serious than one might think. The biggest problem lies in the fact that it starts small & every now & then as needed & escalates from there & very often leads to alcohol & drug addiction. Here is a small copy & paste & below is the article from which it came that you should also read.
Substance Abuse to Ease Depression and Anxiety Symptoms
In addition to PTSD, mood and anxiety disorders also commonly co-occur with substance abuse. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) reports that around 20 percent of individuals suffering from an anxiety or mood disorder also battle a substance use disorder, and vice versa. Depression and anxiety may be the result of many different factors, including an imbalance in brain chemistry, biological and genetic contributors, high stress, trauma, and environmental factors.Anxiety disorders, depression, and PTSD are often the result of certain parts of the brain, like the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex, being overactive, Psychology Today reports. Therefore, substances that depress the central nervous system like benzodiazepines (which consequently are often prescribed to treat anxiety) and alcohol may actually calm these nerve firings and therefore temporarily dispel some of the difficult psychological symptoms, likely making these substances a popular form of self-medication for these disorders.
https://americanaddictioncenters.org/adult-addiction-treatment-programs/...
Have you or do you self medicate to temporarily escape? If so, let’s discuss it.
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I try not to think much of my past life with addiction, misery and overdosing but reading everyones stories it reminds me of how real it was. I don't know why I lived when so many died. Bottom line is it wasn't our time and were still here to help each other. Day to day life can be a real bitch especially with mental health issues. It can definitely feel like a hopeless situation. Diet and especially exercise have given me an outlet and given me something to look forward to. I check eroids multiple times a day for tips and see what everyones up to. I pray for everyone here and u have the good life you deserve. Keep fighting and most importantly sharing. We all know holding negativity in will rot us from the inside.
Truth
Well said brother.... I’m glad you’re here & thanks for posting!!
I “self medicate” without pharmaceuticals, but I get so worked up about everything. My diet is probably 95% plant based and basically everything I eat daily is considered a superfood, so I thought for sure my blood pressure would be as perfect as it had been a couple months ago when I was doing daily LISS (which I no longer do right now, swapping it for high intensity conditioning work like strongman training). It was about 115-120/60 back then. Pretty good. Checked it yesterday for the first time in months and got really mad and bitter. It was 135/65, prehypertensive. Okay, time to re-evaluate. I’m not gonna let it go or go crying to my doctor for meds. Instead I’m going to start drinking hibiscus tea 3x daily and start back the daily LISS, 45 minutes a day to soften the arteries surrounding the heart that resistance training actually stiffens (although resistance training has its own vascular effects, improving blood flow to limbs more than aerobic exercise does).
This is just one real life example of my modus operandi that I’m trying to perfect. When a problem comes along, I must whip it, as they say. Instead of allowing my anxiety to get the best of me, I look for solutions that I can control and don’t stop until one is found.
Yes, I have chewed up my fair share of bars to mask my problems, a (literally) bitter reminder of how pathetic I am every time the taste hits. It goes bad places. Almost crashed my car once because I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Kept waking up on the wrong side of the road. Almost burned my house down because I turned the oven on and passed out on the floor for 12 hours with it running all night. The moment when I knew I had a problem is when I had to start taking amphetamines along with my Xanax just to stay awake. I have it under control now, and I plan on keeping it that way. Seeking solutions. Finding solutions. That’s how I self medicate these days. Am I enjoying life? No, not really. But I plan on keeping myself alive long enough to keep working on changing that.
How’s your new year going so far concerning your anxiety bro?
So far it’s mostly been my own temper being the leading cause of my anxieties. The constant fear of running out of time in the day to do everything I need to do is beating me down.
I assume you prioritize? I have to work with my wife on this constantly. I prioritize the list & start with those things at the top first. I do my best to accomplish the top priorities first Incase there’s not even time in that to accomplish the whole list. If not, I find myself working on something else that is actually less important than what I need to be doing. Family has to be up there too meaning that sometimes I find it necessary to push things out of the way no matter how are it might be mentally. There has to be a happy median somewhere. What good are accomplishments if I’m miserable?
No prioritizing, just mindless ritualism. But mindless rituals are calming to me. If I don’t do them, all of them, it’s hard to function.
Honestly bro that’s a template of how to overcome! In the Corps we had a motto that I still find applicable today... Improvise, Adapt & Overcome. I believe you’re on the right track my friend & with perseverance you will be an overcomer.
This is the same mind set and application that helped me. I’d chew or snort the monkey bars & often with a roxy or oxy. This seemed to help me feel numb enough for awhile, but I’d need more & more often. I got to the place where I figured it was just a viscous circle & even penned a poem where I quoted that life was a cruel joke God had played on us. After some Xanax, roxy & tequila one night I figured I’d just end it all. I loaded a single shot 12 gauge & laid down in bed & pulled the hammer back & placed it under my chin. That was the last thing I remember. I woke a few hours later & I could remember everything except pulling the trigger so I figured I had just passed out & didn’t make it that far. I broke the 12 gauge down & popped the shell out & I was so sick from what I saw.... the primer was dented in where the firing pin hit it, but it didn’t go off. I was more aware of the Grace & Mercy of God & the fact that there had to be a better way. I knew I had been spared from death time & time again because of a purpose & I gained the strength from my experiences to push myself to seek solutions, find solutions & execute solutions.
Thanks for sharing that bro & keep your head up & keep grinding..... you’re gonna make it if you do!!
Wow buddy that gave me the chills my anxiety has gotten so bad to the point I took half a bottle of aspirin and chugged it down with a half bottle of pine sole idk why I thought that would work but I remember laying in my bed rolling side to side praying to God that I wouldn't die somehow I didn't and another time I ate a whole bottle of sleeping pills nawded out for a few hours and didn't die and one more time I snorted 38 high mg muscle relaxers blacked out for 4 days this happened on Christmas eve and still woke up and came to it has to be god that is saying no way son you have a purpose you have to fulfill I dont what it is but it's got to be something good. I do drink to cover my anxiety not through the day but bindge at night. I would really like to say thank you for this group I'm not the one to go talk to someone other than my dad it feels good to let stuff out
I overdosed one night & was out for a day & half before they realized what happened. The ambulance took me to the VA hospital & pumped my stomach & put me on a respirator. They told my family I had a 10 percent chance of living & if I did make it I would have brain damage due to the amount of time I was out. Now some won’t believe this & that’s ok, but I was tied down to the bed on my hands & feet with all those tubes down my throat for days. My dad wouldn’t leave my side. The dr came & took him in the hallway & told him to go home & get some rest cause there was no changes. He wouldn’t leave & after the dr walked off dad said he lifted both hands in the air & asked God to please have mercy on me & all of sudden he heard me yell in my room. When he went in, I was still all tied down & the tubes that were keeping me alive was out & laying on my chest. I don’t remember any of that, but my dads a preacher & doesn’t lie & I know I’m still alive. That’s why I do what I do now & I hats why I travel the world preach& doing missionary work. I found my purpose.
I’m glad you’re here bro & I mlove am that. I’m glad you can be open & it’s important to get things out so healing can take the place of pain!!
Thank you for you brother really I've never said this to really anyone. There is a meaning and soon enough alcohol will be gone hopefully sooner then later
How are things going at home bro?
Anxiety is down a little stress is still there drinking still trying to cut it out little by little my grandpa died the day before my birthday I wasn't really close to him really but I just feel bad for my dad. How you doing
I’ll be praying for you & your family brother!!
Wow, that’s quite a story. Mine’s not as dramatic. I tried to OD once. Obviously I failed, so I figured I might as well make the most of this thing, “life,” since I couldn't master its antonym. I’m glad you’re still kicking. You have a lot of wisdom to impart.
You know what the really sick thing is? My drive to take such good care of myself and have a long life comes from a place of pure hatred. It comes from me wanting to say “fuck you” to anyone who doubted me or made my life miserable, just with my mere existence. I also consider it a great, big middle finger to depression and anxiety to not only survive, but to prosper in spite of those fiends.
Most people take care of themselves because they love life; I take care of myself because I hate it and want to keep battling it. It’s a mindfuck.
I overdosed several times on purpose although I never told anyone & they assumed it was accidental. I think my dad knew a few times because he had suffered the same way I did & of course medicated the same way. His first wife died on their wedding night from a blood clot that went to her heart. He was 19. That was the beginning of his downward spiral.
A Drive is a good thing & motivation is a necessity. I understand your drive. I used the same motivation for a long while, but the truth is hate & bitterness breed unhappiness in the long run. I hate depression, anxiety & all the drugs that I took to escape it, but I’ve learned to care for people & try to understand their reasoning. Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. If you sow bitterness & hate towards people, you will reap the reward of it which is unhappiness. The key is finding what the trigger is brother & also taking advantage of the opportunity we have due to our experiences to help others. There’s nothing more rewarding than to help change someone’s life forever!!
I believe you will beat it &’I believe you will prosper in spite of the circumstances & I also believe you can find a real happiness that can’t be explained or understood.
I appreciate your time in giving these great responses. It gives me a lot to think about.
It’s my privilege my friend & thank you for your openness & your wisdom as well!