As many as 50 per cent of people diagnosed with a mental health condition, such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder, also have a substance abuse problem.
According to the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), some people living with mental illness turn to substances in a misguided attempt to treat the symptoms of their illness or reduce the side effects of their medication. This is unfortunate, as – while people may feel some form of relief at first – using substances interferes with psychiatric medication, and may even lead to relapse and hospitalisation.
Read: Depression and Aids
SADAG Operations Director, Cassey Chambers said, “The problem is that this sets up a cycle where substances are used for short-term relief, but nothing is ever truly resolved. In fact, people often land up not only worsening their existing problems but also having to deal with an addiction on top of it all.”
If you find yourself struggling to manage your substance use during the holidays, remember that SADAG’s Department of Social Development Substance Abuse Helpline is available 24 hours a day throughout the festive season on 0800 12 13 14.
Read: 5 things people with hidden depression do
There are steps you can take to help yourself stay out of this trap this festive season:
- Learn how to say no and ask your friends for their support
- When going to a party, drive yourself so that it’s up to you how long you stay, and park somewhere you won’t get blocked in
- Identify what triggers you, so that you can better manage these triggers. Be especially aware when you’re feeling hungry, angry, lonely or tired
- Take your own drinks to a party. If your temptation is champagne, then take a flavoured sparkling water instead
- Rate situations ahead of time as low, medium or high risk, and try to spend more time in low-risk environments
- Avoid topping drinks up – you may lose count of how many you’ve had
- Keep an eye on your stress levels and when they start to rise, take a timeout instead of forcing yourself to push through
- When at an event, try distracting yourself
- Plan ahead. If you don’t want others to know that you’re in recovery, use a thought-out answer for turning down alcoholic drinks or other substances
- When a craving hits, try high-intensity exercise, move to a new setting, meditate, practise deep breathing exercises, try out a new activity, or explore a place you’ve never been before.
