Self-Escapism
Sometimes when we use our drug of choice, our motivation is not to enjoy the high we get from the substance but to lose consciousness altogether. We feel driven to get so high, so wasted, so inebriated that we forget everything we’re thinking and feeling, everything that’s causing us pain. We want to forget the losses we’ve sustained, the relationship problems we’re dealing with, the difficult personal issues we’re going through. We don’t want any reminders of the lives we’re unhappy to be living, how unfulfilled and depressed we feel every day. We want to forget the painful memories of traumas we’ve experienced. Sometimes people use to have fun, to enjoy being high, and to amplify their experiences, but for many of us, we’re using to cope with our pain, hoping we’ll black out and forget where we, who we are, and what’s going on in our lives.
Health Risks
When we use in this way, sometimes we will intentionally and purposefully consume way too much of our drug of choice because we’re trying to escape our minds, and our lives. When we do this, we run the risk of overdosing and causing ourselves serious health problems that can sometimes be fatal, including seizures, cardiac arrest and severe panic attacks. Even when we’ve experienced dangerous outcomes such as these, we can find ourselves still wanting to get so high we don’t remember anything. Even our near-fatal experiences can’t make us quit. This is a highly self-destructive way of trying to avoid and suppress our pain, and over time, we cause ourselves grave physical injury as well as emotional pain.
Increased Chance of Trauma and Danger
Sometimes when we’ve over-used, we don’t fully lose consciousness but put ourselves at increased risk of being assaulted, abused, robbed, raped or otherwise taken advantage of. Our compromised consciousness, our lack of awareness, and our impaired judgment can make us extremely vulnerable and more susceptible to attacks from people looking to hurt someone who doesn’t have all their faculties intact. This elevated danger we find ourselves in can be an additional source of emotional pain for us, because we experience deep levels of shame, embarrassment and regret that accompany our physical injuries. We blame ourselves for the traumas we experience, faulting ourselves for being so inebriated. We essentially blame the victim, the victim being ourselves.
Using in order to lose consciousness can pose dangerous risks to our overall health and safety, and to our precious, fragile lives. If we’re using in this way, it’s urgent that we seek out help. Stop blaming or hating yourself for your illness, and get the help you deserve.
The caring, compassionate staff of The Guest House is here to support you as you start your journey to recovery and healing. Call 855-483-7800 today for more information. theguesthouseocala.com 3230 Northeast 55th Avenue Silver Springs, FL 34488