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Drugs taken to escape reality

The reasons behind an individuals choosing to misuse drugs can often be an important factor in drug addiction programs, and is often one of the major issues to be addressed in treatment.  For some people drug misuse arises from negative events, and there are many people who choose to rely on addictive substances in order to cope with difficult situations in their lives.  It may be due to past trauma, such as abuse or bereavement, or it may be due to present circumstances, such as loss of job or breakdown of a marriage.

One group who are often associated with drug use as a result of present circumstances, are prostitutes, and a recent study investigated why prostitutes are so regularly involved in drug abuse.  The study found that many of them reported it being due to trying to distance themselves from their situation, and also in response to stigma from others (McCray, Wesley, & Rasche, 2011).  The study involved a large number of former prostitutes and looked primarily at the reasons why they found themselves using drugs.  Many of the participants of the study reported that they took drugs as an escape from the reality of their occupation and lifestyle, and also that many of them took them in response to stigmatization from others.  It transpired that their episode of prostitution was bound closely to that of their drug use, and they became essentially inseparable, i.e. that there couldn't be one without the other. 

Being able to understand why an individual chose to use drugs can often be the first and biggest step in helping them in their recovery, as it provides them with insight into their trigger points, and they can develop strategies to prevent it happening again.  Access to a drug rehab programme may often involve delving into personal issues that a person would rather forget, however in order to really overcome a drug addiction it is important to really addressing all of the pertinent factors.  As people develop in their recovery, they will often become better equipped to handle the issues of the past and ensure that they learn how to cope with similar issues in the future, without drugs.

McCray, K., Wesley, J. K, & Rasche, C. E.  (2011).  Rehab retrospect: former prostitutes and the (re)construction of deviance.  Deviant Behaviour, 32, 743-768.

Published by on 08/06/2020.

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