Reducing Substance Use
There are many reasons that adults decide to cut back on their substance use. It’s normal and healthy to consider cutting down. If you’re a parent or caregiver, what you do influences the young people around you.
Young people notice the role alcohol or other substances play in our everyday routines, our celebrations, and how we cope with stress. For most substances, less is better. When adults limit or pause their substance intake, they model healthy behaviors.
If you’re wondering if your substance use might be an issue, here are some signs to think about.
- Using substances to feel comfortable in situations, or to deal with stress or trauma
- Impacts on relationships
- Missing work or school because of use
- Increasing frequency or amounts of substance use
- Using the substance in dangerous situations, such as before or during driving a car
- Spending a lot of time to get, use, and recover from the effects of using a substance or substances
- Continuing to use a substance even though you no longer wish to use it or have tried to stop using it
- Using substances to deal with anxiety, depression, or emotions, without a prescription
- Increasing your frequency or amount of a substance used; increasing tolerance; feeling withdrawal symptoms if you decrease or stop
- Binge drinking, (roughly defined as a large amount of alcohol in a short duration of time; 4-5 drinks in 2 hours or a sitting for adults and 3-4 drinks for a youth)
- Substance-related legal problems
Substance use disorders can happen to anyone. What might have started as a way to feel comfortable in a situation, to fit into a group, to have fun with friends, or to deal with uncomfortable feelings, can become a compulsive need to use more. Read our blog post, Quit, Cut Back, Prevent: Small Intentional Changes Can Make a Big Impact, to find more reasons to take a break.
Support and treatment are available in New Hampshire. The Doorway can help you find resources for you or a loved one anywhere in the state.