tracyshively
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Those diagnosed with bipolar disorder, as well as the families and friends of these individuals, face many struggles and challenges. The road to stability may be riddled with complications and setbacks. Of these factors, one of the biggest hurdles is often substance abuse. The term "self-medication," then, is defined as "the process by which some individuals may abuse substances in attempting to use them to relieve other problems such as anxiety, pain, sleeplessness or other symptoms of bipolar disorder." In other words, these individuals have a difficult struggle with bipolar disorder and they are more likely to try a drug in the first place. The continuation of drug use possibly stems from the discovery of short-term release from symptoms of mania or depression beginning the cycle of substance abuse. The unfortunate reality is that the relief of symptoms via self-medication is short lived. An individual struggling with dual diagnosis offers this perspective: "Self-medicating treats the symptoms, not the underlying illness. The more we use a substance other than doctor supervised medication the worse our symptoms become and we often find ourselves in a hole which is very difficult to climb out of" http://tracyannshively.blogspot.com |
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