Self-esteem seems to be one of the most helpful qualities people can possesses, yet it sometimes is one of the hardest ones to acquire. But once people have it, it can do so much.
Self-esteem—or, more accurately, a lack of self-esteem—seems intertwined with so many conditions. Substance use disorder is one of those conditions. The connection between self-esteem and substance use disorder is a vicious cycle. People who lack self-esteem may drink excessive amounts of alcohol or use illicit drugs because they feel that being drunk or being high are better feelings than feeling like they’re worthless, can’t do anything, and have nothing to offer.
But if they’re spending all of their time getting high or drunk, people aren’t spending their time doing other things, or they’re neglecting other things in their lives in other ways. They likely aren’t accomplishing the things they want to accomplish, so they feel bad about that, and this bad feeling erodes their self-esteem even further. This loss of self-esteem could drive them to drink even more or abuse even more drugs.
Self-esteem is also closely connected with other conditions, such as depression. People who are depressed or down about things are also down on themselves. Depressed people often turn to alcohol and drugs to make themselves feel better. This could be dangerous in a number of ways, especially since alcohol itself is a depressant. Using a depressant when depressed can make you feel even more depressed.
In addition, using outside substances to mask feelings is only a temporary fix. The effects of those substances always fade. This often leads people to use more and more of the substances to prolong their altered states. Using more and more substances increases the likelihood that their bodies will become accustomed to the substances and puts people at risk for addiction.
