It's challenging to help a loved one struggling with any type of addiction. Sometimes direct, heart-to-heart conversation can lead to arguments, lies, and denial. Family and friends are often unsure of whether what they are dealing with is really an addiction or just misuse. The bottom line is seeing someone you love spiral into what you think is addiction is scary and can have emotional and psychological ramifications for everyone. In Episode 96, to help me explore this topic I’ve brough in Aaron Ballesteros, Licensed Professional Counselor. He has a passion for substance abuse work and shares some nuggets of wisdom on this episode. Substance abuse and substance misuse are often thought to be the same, but they have different meanings. Someone who delas with substance abuse means that they are intentionally using the drug in an unhealthy and illegal way. Whereas substance misuse is using or taking medicine in a way it was not intended to do so. According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics (NCDAS), 21.4% of people who are 12 and over have used illegal drugs or misused prescription drugs within the last year. However, it was also discovered that the drug use among people aged 12 and over is down 0.4% year-over-year.

Similar Episodes: Episode 83: Should You Use Medication to Manage Your Mental Health? w/ Dr. Kim Episode 77: Stress Management 101

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Resources/Things Mentioned During The Show
Aaron Ballesteros https://www.instagram.com/counseloraaron/?hl=en
Aaron Ballesterso https://www.tiktok.com/@counseloraaron?lang=en
Neely Counseling www.neelycounseling.com
Psychology Today https://www.psychologytoday.com/us
Drop The BS Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/dropthebspodcast/