Why can’t I stop using even though I want to?
There are many reasons why you feel like you can’t stop using alcohol or drugs even though you want to. It’s more complex than ‘just stop using’.
Reasons why you can’t stop using alcohol or drugs:
Familiar coping - If you have used alcohol or other substances for a consistent amount of time, your body and brain have become used to using substances for relief and relaxation.
Brain response - Uour brain has learned that substances are a reward. Every time you choose to use a substance you are training your brain to seek that relief and then feel a relief or reward after. This makes other decisions less exciting so you turn to substances instead of going to the gym, walking, eating healthy, or using other healthy coping skills.
Cravings and triggers - You may feel mild or intense urges to drink or use drugs, especially if you are trying to quit. Certain situations may cause you to feel triggered to want to pick up again. It takes time to process and work through cravings and triggers and learn to cope in the moment so you don’t pick up use.
Addiction - Once you have used alcohol consistently over a long length of time, your body becomes physically dependent on it, just like it does with other substances (not all). You may experience an increased tolerance and need to use more in order to feel the effects and you also may experience withdrawal symptoms which may be different for each drug.
Environment - If you are in an environment that has alcohol or other drug use in it, that may make it challenging to stop. If your relationships consist of using alcohol or drugs that may cause pressure to use.
Anxiety and Depression - Using substances can lead to anxiety or depression which can make quitting substances harder. Over time using drugs or alcohol can make motivation fade, increase mood swings, affect self esteem, and it can affect daily life in many ways.
This is not a complete list of reasons why it might be difficult to stop using substances. Therapy can be a helpful place to explore substance use, behavior patterns, and how to quit or cut back.
