The Self-Medication Cycle

The Self-Medication Cycle

How Short Term Relief Can Become a Repeating Pattern

This resource brings the different elements of self-medication together into a repeating cycle. It explores how distress or an unmet need can lead to use, how the immediate effect can provide relief or reward, and how consequences such as withdrawal, disrupted sleep, shame, relationship difficulties or worsening mental health can create further distress.

Over time, the behaviour intended to solve one problem can begin contributing to the conditions that trigger it again.

Useful for: mapping individual patterns, identifying intervention points and understanding why simply removing the coping behaviour may not be enough if the original need remains.

Space to Breathe Therapy