Depression is often a gateway to substance abuse. One of three people suffering from depression engage in substance abuse. First and foremost substance abuse is not the same as addiction.
Substance abuse: Abuse does not majorly disrupt a person's life. It causes real damage to the body, mind and spirit. A person may use mind-altering substances to cope with life's stressors, instead of utilizing healthier habits. This can lead to worsened substance abuse or even addition. People who abuse substances are able to learn from negative consequences and change their behavior.
Substance addiction: Addition is a disease that affects most if not all aspects or areas of a person's life. A person with addiction often makes tragic decisions that worsen their situation. It is important to understand that people with addiction have a chemical dependency which prevents them from changing on their own. Will-power alone will not cure them from their self-destructive behavior. The craving for the substance leads them to neglect their daily life and act irresponsible, to the point where their lives are in shambles. Even then, they sometimes can not comprehend their substance use as the destructive force in their life. They downplay the extent of their substance use, and often blame its consequences on outside factors. This is called denial. Sometimes a person with an addiction can recognize their substance as the cause of their hardships, but still can not stop using because they are chemically dependent on the substance.
Depressed people suffer from immense emotional pain. This often causes them to preoccupy themselves with substances and that substance use leads to a short term relief from the emotional pain. That relief is often referred to as emotional numbness. Afterwards they experience negative consequences resulting from their behaviour while under the influence. Those consequences only intensify and worsen the emotional pain which causes them to feel shame, guilt or depression. Those emotions cause them to feel emotional pain which closes the circle.
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Rain Are The World's Tears
Non-FictionI'm at peace on rainy days when my tears fall with the droplets of the light rain. It feels like the whole world is crying with me. Depression is a major obstacle to overcome, so it often times is easier to focus on the different aspects and sympto...
