We all experience highs and lows in our life. Most of us are able to deal with these issues and move on. We may dwell on them for some time, but after a while we are able to move past it. But for some people, these lows that they experience consume their lives. They cannot get it out of their heads and end up being controlled by this memory of what happened. These people look for relief in any way they can get it. Unfortunately, this usually means turning to drugs or alcohol in order to cope. By doing this, it may less the pain they feel, help them sleep, reduce their stress or just help block out the memory completely, but in the long run it’s not a good idea. Raymond Anton from the Medical University of South Carolina states that “These initial reactions are just a sirens-song since, upon continued use, the substances are likely to increase stress and to cause the exact symptoms that they are initially meant to reduce” (Anton, 5). Drugs and alcohol are only a short term fix. Instead of the memory controlling your life, instead drugs and alcohol now control it since you rely on them to make you feel better. The only way you can truly move on is to deal with the issue yourself. Using drugs and alcohol is like running away from the problem and will only make it worse.
Anton, Raymond. "Substance Abuse Is a Disease of the Human Brain: Focus on Alcohol." Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 38.4 (2010): 735-744. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 30 Jan. 2011.
Kind of a catch 22, just trading one problem for another.
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