Welcome back to our virtual spring quarter! While we’re still getting adjusted to being indoors and adapting to our new routines, some of us might be looking towards social media for insight on what’s been going on and staying connected to our communities.

Click here to view the Wellness Wednesday Webinar on Substances and read below for more resources and an in-depth analysis of this week’s topic!

A recent trend I’ve noticed are challenges, particularly on Instagram, that allow you to pick a challenge, such as recording yourself complete a set of push-ups and tagging your friends. This challenge can range from posting baby pictures to taking shots of alcohol, the latter leading to potential harms and risks.

So, why is preventing substance misuse so important right now? We know smoking and drinking is common among college students but amidst this pandemic, can our habits lead to unintended consequences? Further, it’s important to consider that what’s seen as “normal” is not the same thing as “healthy.”

Let’s talk about why we even use substances, such as drugs and alcohol, in the first place. For some, using substances is a way to increase positive emotions and experiences, such as celebrating a friend’s birthday on Zoom and saying “cheers to that!” Indulging in substances is also a way to lessen negative emotions and experiences. Being isolated from friends and family can trigger feelings of depression and anxiety leading to drinking and using drugs to cope with these emotions. The reasons underlying why we use are valid – connection, celebration, coping, etc. However, especially during this time, it’s important to monitor our relationship use to be proactive and prevent use from escalating.

Use exists on a spectrum from substance use, substance misuse, to substance use disorder; substance use disorder then exists on a spectrum of mild, moderate, severe. It is important to recognize that healthy versus unhealthy use isn’t black-and-white – it’s not usually as easy as “my use is fine,” or “my use is a problem.”

So, when does use become misuse? Consider your relationship with use:

• Reflect and monitor the frequency of use
• the duration of use
• if it negatively impacts any aspects of your life
• if it is interrupting your ability to function
• if it is negatively impacting your emotional wellbeing
• if you’re using to self-medicate
• if others have commented on your use being unhealthy.

Rather than looking at substance use as right or wrong/good or bad, consider your relationship to it – describe it like you would another type of relationship. For example, if your substance were a partner or friend, would you keep them in your life or break up with them? Is it predictable, mutual, balanced, and positive? Is it unpredictable, chaotic, and one-sided?

So, back to the reasons for using – is your use really meeting the need or addressing the reason for use? If use is meant to cope with depression, is it really helping? Maybe in the moment there is a short-term relief, but does it end up adding to a negative thought cycle? If we’re using substances to have fun, is every occasion of use fun or is it a few times? The fun experiences amplified in our memory while the negative experiences get blocked out?

Whether our substance use is healthy and effective or unhealthy and ineffective, we can create more opportunities and options by adding tools to our toolbox. If substance use is our only option for coping or unwinding, then there is an increased chance of developing an unhealthy relationship to it. Having plenty of options when looking to either have fun, destress, or cope, helps ensure we are not overly relying on substances to navigate the world.

We can practice passive and active coping skills to help balance our relationship with use. Passive coping skills allow us to distract and recalibrate. We can use them when we aren’t ready to dive into the issue at hand and need time before moving through the issue. After using a passive coping skill, the problem is still there, but we may be in a better mindset to handle it.

Some passive coping skills include:

• TV
• Sleeping
• Puzzles
• Reading

Sometimes passive coping skills and distractions are necessary, but they aren’t your only tools.

Active coping skills allow us to actually work through the issue at hand. After we use active coping skills, the problem is lessened and we feel (at least a little) better.

Some active coping skills include:

• Therapy
• Journaling
• Talking things through
• Mindfulness
• Meditation
• Using art (dance, painting, music making, etc) to express emotions

Now that we have a list of passive and active coping skills, what happens if we’re coping with cravings and urges? If you’re feeling an urge to use, try creating a buffer zone or moment of pause. Utilize a distraction technique or active coping skill (for example, I want to drink to destress, but before that I will call a friend or practice 5 minutes of meditation). Check in after that buffer zone and see if the urge has lessened. Cravings and urges are like emotions – they are temporary and will move through. If we can “surf the wave” of the craving/urge and notice it rise, peak, and then fall, we can avoid the automatic impulse to use and instead select a healthier tool from our toolbox. However, if we choose to use, having this buffer zone/pause will ensure use is informed and intentional.

We don’t need to wait until use is “a problem,” before adjusting our relationship to it. As mentioned before, use becomes misuse before it becomes a use disorder; it is progressive and develops over time, unlike switching it on or off. The more we understand our relationship to use and have a system of monitoring, the more we are setting ourselves up for success.

Here are some tips for getting support and being proactive:

For help cutting down, quitting, and/or understanding relationship to use:

• DePaul Students: HPW, Collegiate Recovery Meetings
• Therapy
• Peer Support:
  • 12-Step Meetings
  • SMART Recovery
  • Refuge Recovery

Now that you’re feeling motivated to make some changes or be more intentional, remember it’s ok for motivation to fluctuate. Here are some ways to hold yourself accountable and set yourself up for success:

• Consider making a list of commitments to monitor your use (I.e “I will know it’s time to cut down use if I start using x amount per week or spending x amount per week”)
• Talk to others about your goals – sharing them aloud and writing them down can build motivation and accountability
• Having a goal and having motivation for a goal are two separate things. We can have a goal and our low motivation to achieve it is a barrier for accomplishing it. One way to build motivation is to accurately understand where your motivation lies:
  • Write out your goal(s)
  • Then write your motivation for that goal on a scale of 1-10
  • Ask yourself why am I [insert number] and not [insert number below]? What is in this gap will inform what is motivating you
    • For example, why am I at a 6 and not 5?
    • We know motivation will go down over time; it’s important to identify our motivators so we can keep reinforcing them
  • Ask yourself why am I [insert number] and not [insert number above]? What is in this gap will inform what action steps are needed
    • For example, why am I at a 6 and not 7? What would being at a 7 look like?
    • It can be helpful to look at our motivation and goals incrementally. Rather than taking on the overwhelming task of going from a 6 on the motivation scale to a 10 (so overwhelming we are unlikely to take action), looking at the next number on the scale can encourage use and promote mastery, a key element in continuing in our goals

Since it is a challenging time to process our emotions and manage our time and space, it is important to consider the growth of our emotional and mental wellbeing. While substances can provide relief, help feel connected, or unwind, ultimately they can distract us from our potential and cause unintended harm. Instagram shot challenges might seem like a break from the mundane, seeing friends drinking and having fun, but it can also lead to dependence and misuse. Making sure we know our limits, prioritizing our health and wellbeing, and creating virtual space places for ourselves and our loved ones will empower us to take care of ourselves and our communities.

And with that, take care Depaul ☺

XOXO,

HPW