Drug abuse and dependency is a growing epidemic and has been on the rise for the past few years and continues to be a problem for therapists and counselors across the country (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2012). One of the major contributing factors for the start and continuation of drug abuse and dependency is low self-esteem.
Low self-esteem can trigger depression, anxiety and social issues all of which are directly linked to the decision to use drugs.“Low self-esteem either causes or contributes to neurosis, anxiety, defensiveness, and ultimately alcohol and drug abuse” (National Association for Self-Esteem, 2010, para. 5).
The National Center for Biotechnology Information(n.d.) highlights the fact substance abuse disorder, as defined by the American Psychiatric Association, categorizes depression along with substance abuse disorder as commonly occurring. The majority of drug use begins in the latter teenage years through the early twenties (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2012) and therefore should be a focus point for developing positive self-esteem. There are many reasons why low self-esteem can occur, some of which are simply a part of puberty and growth during adolescence that never subsides, but the focus of this paper is to examine how and if positive self-esteem can help limit the potential for drug abuse.
According to the National Association of Self-Esteem, NASE, (2010) positive self-esteem can help people to feel better about themselves and when people feel better about themselves they make better decisions in their lives. For example, teenagers across the country struggle with feeling good about themselves for a myriad of different reasons. If teenagers felt better about themselves they would be less likely to engage in substance abuse as they would have a positive self-image. A positive self-image has been linked with decreased rates of cigarette smoking for example (Weinstein& Mermelstein, 2013) and so can also be linked to other substance abuse disorders since they stem from similar circumstances.
Teenagers choose to associate with people who are more likely to engage in fringe type behaviors when they are depressed, anxious or have a negative mood. When teenagers can be shown how to have a higher self-esteem they are more likely to avoid dangerous situations and choose not to engage in behaviors for social reasons. “Self-esteem is indeed involved in addictive substance use. The use of drugs is often used to compensate for low self-esteem and feelings of a lack of control over one's life. Those with a strong sense of self do not have to be sustained at the expense of others” (National Association of Self-Esteem, 2010, para. 5).
Positive self-esteem can be generated in a number of different ways but really tends to focus three main factors; not feeling victimized, taking responsibility for life and finally choosing to consciously make good decisions (National Association of Self-Esteem, 2010). In the case of someone who is suffering from substance abuse disorder caused by depression, self-esteem could be generated by first changing their viewpoint about themselves. By examining how they feel and going through a self-introspection exercise they could begin to determine their choices and how they make them. This is an important step in not only building self-esteem but treating substance abuse disorder in the first place.
The victimization process is of particular note for those suffering from low self-esteem and ties nicely into helping those with a negative mood disorder tied to substance abuse. A victimized person may blame others for their predicament and so, therefore, it becomes important to help someone not feel as though they are the victim. Positive self-esteem can alleviate the feeling of being victimized (National Association for Self-Esteem, 2010) and therefore release someone who is feeling trapped by their circumstances. However, just feeling as though they are no longer the victim is not enough in this case because they need to change systemically how they feel about their life.
For the final component of positive self-esteem, choosing to consciously choose the decisions made in life, someone battling from depression or anxiety linked with substance abuse disorder should be able to think clearly about their ongoing choice to use. Feeling confident about life decisions can only be made when someone feels positively about themselves and this ensures that they make good, healthy decisions which impact their daily lives. For instance, someone who has a stressful job that comes home daily to a drink or two may not have positive self-esteem and thus their decision making may be poor.
Since alcohol is a degenerative drug these poor decisions over time, to continue drinking, can become a bigger concern as the years progress. On the other hand, if the person had positive self-esteem and was able to shed the stress associated with his or her job then he or she may not choose to use alcohol as a crutch in their life.It is not always apparent the decisions that people make, especially those subconscious decisions involving alcohol for example, but helping people to become conscious of these thoughts is a core factor in developing self-esteem.
Self-esteem, positive and negative, is intrinsically linked to just about every component of daily life. Ranging from how well people perform at their jobs all the way to how they choose to use and abuse legal or illegal substances (National Association for Self-Esteem, 2010). When people have positive self-esteem they are less likely to exhibit symptoms of depression, anxiety and a whole host of other mood disorders that are linked to the initiation and continuation of substance abuse disorders.
Since substance abuse disorder usually starts during late adolescence it is important that the youth of today is taught how to have a positive self-image and positive self-esteem. If they can be taught how to have these things then they are less likely to engage in risky behaviours which result in substance abuse. Research has already identified that programs which “increase self-esteem significantly changed the attitudes of students regarding their alcohol and drug use” (National Association for Self-Esteem, 2010, para. 5) so parents, educators and counselors would be wise to include a component of self-esteem building in their curriculums for young adults.
References
National Association of Self-Esteem (2010).Review of self-esteem research, http://www.self-esteem-nase.org/research.php
National Center for Biotechnology Information (n.d.).Appendix D—DSM-IV-TR Mood Disorders -Managing Depressive Symptoms in Substance Abuse Clients During Early Recovery -NCBI Bookshelf from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64063/National Institute on Drug Abuse (2012, December).
Nationwide trends. Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/nationwide-trendsWeinstein, S. M., & Mermelstein, R. J. (2013).
Influences of Mood Variability, Negative Moods, and Depression on Adolescent Cigarette Smoking.Psychology Of Addictive Behaviors, doi:10.1037/a0031488
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