What is Substance Abuse?
Substance Abuse is apparent when use is excessive, dangerous, continues despite problematic consequences or when loss of control over use arises.

“I didn’t seem to notice or care that my grades were falling. It just didn’t seem that important to me anymore.”

Drinking alcohol to the point of blackout is an indication of Alcohol Abuse. Continuing to use cannabis despite falling grades in school is evidence of a Substance Abuse problem. Using drugs when alone or in secret is an indication of a serious problem of abuse.

Certain drugs are so dangerous that first or any other use is clearly Substance Abuse. This is  true for any use of crack cocaine, metham-phetamine, glue sniffing or heroin.

Any use of any drug by injection is dangerous and by definition, Substance Abuse. Any person who is drawn to these drugs or means of use has a serious problem from the outset.

Unfortunately, a Substance Abuse problem may not be apparent to the person who is using. The symptoms of Substance Abuse and Addiction include denial, rationalization and justification of use.

“I thought I was hiding my drinking from others. Now I see that I was only fooling myself.”

A person with a substance problem will also tend to associate with others who use alcohol or drugs heavily. As a result,  their use is not seen or challenged as the problem that it is.

“I never thought that my drinking was out of the ordinary. It didn’t occur to me that the only people who I hung with were others who drank every day.”