The Little Blue Book

Because alcohol and drugs can provide a temporary escape, if things are tough it can be tempting to look for a release from our problems through drugs or ‘hitting the bottle’. It is a fact that many of us ‘self- medicate’ in this way. But for some, there may be underlying factors – like unrecognised trauma, PTSD and other disorders – or an undiagnosed mental illness sitting behind their substance use. Like anxiety and depression, which can touch anyone, no matter how strong or resilient they may appear. Many of us will have had days or weeks where we’ve been “bitten by the black dog” of depression. But, for some people, the sadness and sense of despair that depression brings can be overwhelming and can last weeks, months and even years. Depression and anxiety of this type is a debilitating mental illness. The feelings of failure, worthlessness and profound sadness that it triggers can lead to self-harm, and, for too many sufferers, to suicide. Unfortunately, drugs and alcohol can amplify these feelings of loss of control and accelerate the downward spiral for people who may already be struggling. The problem with the use of these addictive substances is that they bring only temporary respite, and, once the dopamine-induced euphoria has passed, the feelings of anxiety commonly return, but deeper and darker still. GETTING HELP Drinking heavily, or misusing illicit drugs, is commonly a mask for deep- seated unhappiness and underlying negative feelings we may carry about ourselves – to personal problems, to feelings of inadequacy or failure, or a poor sense of self-worth. These feelings may sit deep within us and are perhaps not easily uncovered. They may relate to distant circumstances beyond our control – like childhood distress, like hidden traumas relating to loss and abandonment, like feelings of ‘not fitting in’ – or to present difficulties, family or financial, that we are struggling to deal with and can shake us deep to the core. They may also be a response to chronic stress, pressures and traumas we encounter at work. And may sit alongside disabling mental health disorders – like anxiety and depression – that we may or may not be wholly aware that we carry (but that have a name and can be treated). They might also spring from deeper mental health issues. Perhaps, to better understand our own drinking or drug-taking, we may need to better understand ourselves. There is help out there (like your GP). If you are overly anxious, feeling you’d like to withdraw, struggling to enjoy things you once enjoyed, or weighed down by feelings of failure, please do talk to your doctor, a family member or friend about it. DEPRESSION, ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE RECOGNISING DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND OTHER DISORDERS 100