I definately think that alot of us self medicate with alcohol or other drugs, and I know people may not want to write down these problems for the fear of prosecution, but I feel that it is a relevant area to this topic and could help alot of people out. Maybe some form of secure forum where everyone can't get on.

I think that you are right that many people do self medicate and even more self medicate and won't admit that they do it or they simply don't see that they are doing this. I started drinking and doing heavy drugs at a young age in hopes off drowning away the pain and forgetting everything that was happening in my life. This obviously led me down a long - dark and lonely path. I got to the point of drinking and doing drugs such as cocaine and speed to keep me on my high and then taking downers to get some sleep and then waking up in the morning and starting the cycle all over again.

I am very thankful that not only did I start this at a young age but I also wised up and stopped it at a young age. I realized that although while I was high or drunk I didn't "feel" anything --as soon as I came down from the high the problems that I was trying to get rid off along with new problems that my addiction created were there waiting for me. So my highs got higher and then the lows got lower and then friends and myself decided that enough was enough. One of my best friends and I started going to AA and NA 90 meetings in 90 days and got clean.

I have managed to stay off of all drugs and alcohol except for Marijuana -- This is the drug of choice in the area where I live and it is almost always around no matter where I go -- I have not touched it since December and I hope to keep it that way because I don't like the way that it makes me feel and it makes my anxiety 10000 times worse.

To anyone that is self medicating please realize that this is doing no good for you --- it is only setting you up for more pain and heartache in the long run although it may not seem that way now. There is nothing good about self medicating!

Marijuana had been a daily ritual with me also, until lately, and around here it is everywhere. I'm experiencing anxiety from distancing myself from the people I usually hang around with. My sister had suggested some NA meetings. It was a crutch that I thought i could lean on forever, but lately it just made me more anxious and in my head. It's hard right now because it's always something i turned to. I say the serenity prayer to myself often also.