Why do I have a drinking or drug problem?

There are a lot of reasons why people abuse drugs and alcohol. It is important to discover and solve the problems you may have had before you starting using heavily. If you need to find someone to talk with,

Every youth has their own reasons for drinking or doing drugs. Adults often assume that teens use drugs because they have low self-esteem, are responding to peer pressure or are imitating or reacting to their parents’ own behaviour. But this may not always be true. Here are some of the reasons teens have told us that they drink or do drugs:

1. Using drugs and/or alcohol helps them feel they belong to a group
2. It helps them deal with stress, anxiety and conflicts
3. It gives them pleasure
4. It makes them feel more creative
5. It lowers inhibitions and makes them more assertive

There are better and safer ways of experiencing, coping, creating, feeling good and belonging without drinking and using drugs. If you want to stop drinking or using drugs, you will have to figure out the reasons you began in the first place.

Be honest with yourself. Drug abusers and alcoholics spend a lot of time, even years, denying that they have an abuse problem, or another problem that may be causing their behaviour. This is because they don’t see any other way out. But there is. People kick habits all the time with help. It’s hard to do this by yourself, so you should talk to an adult you trust or email help@covenanthouse.ca and one of our counsellors will reply Monday to Friday, 9 to 5.

Dealing with drinking and drugs
How drinking and drug problems start
Do I have a problem with drinking or drugs?