Substance Abuse

At Affordable Counseling, we offer a full spectrum of Substance Abuse help ranging from Substance Abuse Evaluations to complete Substance Counseling.

Substance abuse can simply be defined as a pattern of harmful use of any substance for mood-altering purposes. Medline’s medical encyclopedia defines drug abuse as “the use of illicit drugs or the abuse of prescription or over-the-counter drugs for purposes other than those for which they are indicated or in a manner or in quantities other than directed.”

But the broad range of substance abuse in today’s society is not that simple.

There are substances that can be abused for their mood-altering effects that are not drugs at all — inhalants and solvents — and there are drugs that can be abused that have no mood-altering or intoxication properties, such as steroids.

Generally, when most people talk about substance abuse, they are referring to the use of illegal drugs. Most professionals in the field of drug abuse prevention argue that any use of illegal drugs is by definition abuse. Those drugs got to be illegal in the first place because they are potentially addictive or can cause negative health effects; therefore, any use of illegal substances is dangerous and abusive.

Illegal drugs are not the only substances that can be abused. Alcohol, prescription and over-the-counter medications and even coffee and cigarettes, can all be used to harmful excess. Theoretically, almost any substance can be abused.

For many substances, the line between use and abuse is not clear. Is having a couple of drinks every day after work to unwind use or abuse? Is drinking two pots of coffee in the morning to get your day started use or abuse?

For more information or to schedule an evaluation, feel free to contact us any time either through our Contact page or by phone at 941.756.6042.