Substance Abuse

Using substances like alcohol and drugs to get through your day can cause severe harm to your health, relationships, and finances. Contact the Heath Counseling and Consultation Services team in Jacksonville, Florida, if you struggle with substance abuse. Their experienced counselors help you overcome addiction and stop using harmful substances, immeasurably improving your quality of life. Call the office today to schedule a substance abuse consultation or book an in-person or telehealth appointment online.

What is substance abuse?

People with a substance abuse disorder misuse drugs or other substances, leading to mental and physical health problems. Substances that often lead to misuse include:

• Alcohol
• Prescription opioids like oxycodone
• Illegal opioids (heroin)
• Cocaine
• Amphetamines (speed)
• MDMA (molly or ecstasy)
• Solvents (glue and other chemicals)
• Marijuana
• Hallucinogens like LSD

These substances affect your brain’s reward system, making you feel good for short periods. With continued use, you develop a dependence on the drug that leads to addiction.

The dose and frequency at which you take your chosen drug increase, and you become ever more reliant on it. Stopping causes intense cravings and physical symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, making quitting a considerable challenge.

What symptoms does substance abuse disorder cause?

When you first develop a substance misuse habit, you might be able to conceal your drug-taking and behave quite normally. However, as you become more dependent on your regular fix, problems start to develop. Common examples include:

• Cravings between fixes
• Thinking obsessively about the substance
• Failing when trying to stop using
• Problems sleeping
• Irritability
• Spending excessive time obtaining, using, and recovering
• Engaging in risky behaviors
• Withdrawal from friends and family

Using money you can’t afford to fund your habit is another sign of substance abuse.

As your addiction worsens, you might find nothing else in your life is as important. You could start neglecting your family, career, and health and potentially lose them without expert addiction treatment.

How is substance abuse treated?

The Heath Counseling and Consultation Services team creates a customized substance abuse treatment plan for you. Their recommendations vary depending on which drug you use, the severity of your symptoms, and your medical history.

People with serious addictions to drugs like heroin, alcohol, and prescription opioids might require medication to help them through withdrawal. These medicines reduce the severity of cravings and control the distressing effects stopping can cause, such as abdominal pain, cramps, sweating, tremors, vomiting, and diarrhea.

The therapy Heath Counseling and Consultation Services provides is invaluable in helping you overcome addiction. Their experienced drug counselors help you manage everyday challenges using approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). They also help you work through underlying issues that make you more vulnerable to substance misuses, like trauma and abuse.

Call Heath Counseling and Consultation Services today to learn more about successfully overcoming a substance use disorder, or book an appointment online.