ADVANCING HEALTH-CARE PRACTICE

3.3     Susan's Story

While many people use substances in moderation (whether legal or illegal), without experiencing problems (Kaiser Foundation, 2004), some people do find themselves becoming dependant on a substance. This is thought to be more likely to happen if the substance was used for coping with an underlying issue, although what began as experimental use can also lead to dependence.



While the line between use and dependence has been subject to much debate, increased dependence can be thought of as difficult for the person using to quit, higher relapse rate, self-rated need for the substance, and the degree to which the substance will be used in the face of evidence that it causes harm (Henningfield, 1994). The cycle of dependence illustrates the Catch-22 some people find themselves in, where a way of dealing with problems becomes itself problematic. Where, as author Lois Simmie (2001) writes, 'comfort became a crutch became an illness'.

Return to Susan's story to hear her describe cycling into increased dependence on substances, and the related health impacts.