Rethinking Substance Use: What Our Choices Say About Us

When people hear the words substance use, the first thought is often danger, addiction, or stigma. But if we zoom out, substance use tells a larger story about culture, coping, and the human search for relief and connection.

A Universal Thread

Across history and across the globe, humans have turned to substances like wine at ancient Greek symposiums, cacao in Mayan rituals, coffee fueling revolutions, and opioids in modern medicine. Substances aren’t just chemicals; they’re woven into tradition, identity, and survival. Looking at use this way helps us ask a deeper question: why do we reach for them?

From a neurological perspective, substances tap into our brain’s reward system, offering quick hits of pleasure, calm, or escape. For someone managing stress, trauma, or mental health struggles, that relief can feel essential. The danger comes when the brain begins to rely on substances as the only coping tool. What starts as choice can slide into compulsion.

The “Why” Matters More Than the “What”

It’s easy to get caught up in what someone uses: alcohol, nicotine, opioids, cannabis. But focusing only on the “what” risks missing the more important “why.” Is someone drinking to celebrate, or to numb pain? Is cannabis used for creativity, or to silence anxiety? The same substance can serve vastly different roles in someone’s life.

Breaking the Stigma with Curiosity

Instead of treating substance use as a moral failing, shifting to curiosity can open the door to real change. Asking “what need is this meeting?” reframes the conversation. When people feel understood rather than judged, they’re more likely to explore healthier ways of meeting those needs, like therapy, connection, exercise, creativity, and mindfulness.

If you or someone you love uses substances, consider pausing to reflect:

• What role does this substance play in my life?

• What would life feel like without it?

• What healthier tools might help me meet the same need?

Substance use is more than a chemical reaction. It’s a human story about stress, resilience, and the ongoing search for balance. And while substances can sometimes take too much from us, reflecting on the “why” can help us take our power back.