Subscribe
Military life can be tough on your mind and body. Deployments, training, separation from family, and injuries are just a few common stressors. These stressors may contribute to physical and psychological health concerns that service members may struggle to cope with.
To cope with stress, some service members may misuse alcohol or other substances. Substance misuse may include:
Although, substance use may provide rapid relief or temporary escape from daily problems or pain, it typically worsens the problems over time and can lead to more psychological or physical health concerns in the long run. Substance misuse doesn’t address the root cause of pain or distress and increases the risk of negative health outcomes in a variety of ways.
You might hear this called "self-medicating," but it can become a dangerous coping mechanism, threatening your health, personal relationships, career, and mission readiness.
Fortunately, there are many healthy ways to cope with personal stressors without misusing substances. Some options include:
Healthy coping mechanisms can help you avoid substance misuse and stay on track.
Substance misuse is an unhealthy coping mechanism—it may work in the short-term but is does more harm than good in the long run. Recognizing the signs is the first step to getting help. Talk to a support professional if you or a loved one regularly use and rely on substances to:
Using substances in this way could be a sign of an underlying physical or psychological health concern that should be assessed for by a health care professional. Stopping on your own can lead to uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms and/or relapse.
There are many effective treatment options available to choose from, like cognitive-behavioral therapy. With CBT, you will work to change your pattern of unhelpful thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that may be preventing you from making adjustments in your best interest. Other treatment approaches include medication-assisted treatment or reward-based treatments that incorporate positive reinforcement for using healthy coping skills instead of substance misuse.
Recognizing and seeking help for problematic behaviors and substance misuse can be difficult. Getting assistance will help you, and those around you, stay healthy and mission ready.
If you or a loved one need additional support, contact the Psychological Health Resource Center (https://health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Centers-of-Excellence/Psychological-Health-Center-of-Excellence/Psychological-Health-Resource-Center) 24/7 to confidentially speak with trained health resource consultants. Call 866-966-1020 or use the Live Chat (https://home-c72.niceincontact.com/incontact/chatclient/chatclient.aspx?poc=d836e912-8100-4812-b0da-f124f2894895&bu=4599581).
Stay up-to-dateon the Real Warriors Campaign. Sign up for our email list or give us a follow on social media:
For additional resources, visit health.mil/RealWarriors.
| Date Taken: | 12.23.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.23.2025 11:26 |
| Story ID: | 555227 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 19 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Substance Misuse as a Coping Mechanism, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
