Is My Loved One Self-Medicating? Signs and How to Help

Mental health is in the spotlight as more and more people recognize that mental health problems are real and common. What is not as well understood by many is that mental health struggles, when untreated, sometimes lead to self-medication with drugs or alcohol which can easily become addiction. If you suspect that your loved one is self-medicating, it’s important to understand the signs and how you can help.

What Does Self-Medicating Mean?

Mental health disorders have symptoms that may be temporarily relieved by drugs or alcohol. For example, alcohol or opioids may have a calming effect that relieves anxiety or stress, both of which are common mental health disorder symptoms. A symptom like an inability to focus might be relieved by using stimulants like cocaine.

Self-medication is not, however, just having the occasional drink after a stressful day. It’s a repeated pattern of using substances to relieve mental health symptoms instead of using healthy coping mechanisms.

Signs That Your Loved One Is Self-Medicating

It can be difficult to know if your loved one is self-medicating and the extent to which they are doing it. You might see them have a drink or smoke a joint after work now and then, but you don’t know if they are self-medicating when you’re not around. However, there are behavioral signs that you can spot that may indicate a self-medication problem. These include:

• Withdrawal from social events
• Poor work or school performance
• Mood swings or irritability
• Physical changes such as weight loss
• Isolation from friends and family
• Loss of interest in activities they enjoy
• Financial hardship

Is It Addiction?

Self-medicating with drugs or alcohol does not necessarily lead to addiction, but it comes with an extremely high risk of developing addiction. While you can’t diagnose addiction in your loved one, you should know the criteria that formally define addiction, also known as a substance use disorder. These are:

1. Using a substance more than intended or for longer than intended
2. Wanting to reduce or stop substance use but not being able to
3. Spending excessive amounts of time using a substance or recovering from using a substance
4. Feeling cravings for the substance
5. Failing to live up to responsibilities due to substance use
6. Having relationship problems because of substance use
7. Giving up activities that you enjoy in order to use the substance instead
8. Engaging in risky behaviors like driving while under the influence
9. Continuing to use the substance in spite of negative consequences like health issues
10. Needing more of the substance to get the same effects
11. Having withdrawal symptoms when you are not using the substance

Having two to three of these symptoms indicates a mild substance use disorder, four to five is considered moderate, while six or more is severe.

Co-Occurring Disorders

When addiction develops as a result of self-medicating a mental health disorder, the person is considered to have co-occurring disorders. They have the original mental health disorder and addiction, which is also a mental health disorder. Treating co-occurring disorders involves treating both disorders concurrently. Because co-occurring disorders are so common, most addiction treatment facilities provide this kind of concurrent treatment.

How to Help a Loved One Who Is Self-Medicating

Helping someone who is self-medicating to the point of addiction starts with a conversation. When you make a plan for your conversation with your loved one, there are several things to keep in mind.

1. Choose a good time to have the conversation. You want them to be sober, and you’ll want to speak privately and uninterrupted.
2. Express your concerns for the person and how their substance use seems to be affecting their life and health, and how it is impacting you.
3. Use empathetic statements such as “I understand that you’re going through a tough time.”
4. Give them options, such as “maybe you should see someone to be evaluated.”
5. Don’t be demanding by saying things like “you need to get help.”
6. Stay calm and do not get angry, even if they do.
7. Don’t call them an alcoholic or drug addict. Focus on their actions, not labels.
8. Don’t just talk – listen.
9. Do not blame them for their problem or make accusations.

Keep in mind that you may have to have this conversation more than once before they are ready to seek help. You need to have realistic expectations and understand that you can’t force them to get treatment.

Treating Addiction

Before you have the conversation, you should understand their treatment options so that you can provide them with information. Treatment comes in several forms.

Inpatient Treatment

Inpatient treatment can be a short-term detox program that lasts seven to ten days, or it can be a full program that lasts 30 to 90 days. The purpose of a detox program is to manage withdrawal symptoms in a medically supervised setting to keep your loved one safe and as comfortable as possible. It should not be a standalone treatment, but should be followed by some other form of inpatient or outpatient treatment.

A 30 to 90 day inpatient treatment program includes a period of detox, but also includes intensive therapy, both individually and in groups. Treatment for the co-occurring disorder may involve medication.

The type of therapy most commonly used in addiction treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT teaches patients to recognize their own irrational thoughts and negative emotions and to challenge them using more reality based, positive thinking. It also teaches healthy coping skills to face life’s challenges without substances.

Inpatient rehab is not for everyone. It’s generally for more severe substance use disorders, although it can be helpful for any level of addiction

Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHPs)

A partial hospitalization program (PHP) allows your loved one to live at home while attending treatment for four to six hours per day, usually five days a week. The program may last anywhere from four weeks to ten weeks. The treatment consists of therapy similar to that of inpatient treatment, both in groups and individually. A PHP can still include medication for co-occurring disorders.

More often than not, a PHP program is a transitional step that occurs after inpatient treatment, although it can be an alternative to inpatient treatment.

Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOPs)

An intensive outpatient program (IOP) consists of two to three hours of therapy several days a week for eight to twelve weeks. Often, sessions are held in the evenings so that your loved one can still go to work or attend school. Treatment, again, involves individual and group cognitive behavioral therapy.

IOPs can be standalone treatments, or they can be attended after inpatient treatment, PHPs, or both.

In Closing

If you suspect that a loved one is self-medicating a mental health disorder, it’s important to be informed about the signs, when it may be an addiction, and what treatment is available. At Bridges of Hope, we are here to help. We can provide you with information about our treatment options and about how you can help your loved one with the process. We are committed to providing compassionate, comprehensive care so that your loved one can move on to a healthier, more fulfilling life. Give us a call today to learn more.