The 4 C’s Of Substance Abuse: What it Means For You
Post Date: Dec 13, 2023
Behavioral Health
The problem with the general term “addiction” is that it’s often overused. But it’s important to be able to tell when a behavior relates to a mental health disorder or when the term is just used in common conversation. This might be the difference between someone who says they’re addicted to caffeine and someone who needs to be admitted to an inpatient treatment facility for substance use disorder.
If you or someone you know is dealing with a substance abuse problem, help is out there. In an emergency, call 911. For mental health support that is often essential during a substance abuse crisis, find out more about resources near you in Gallatin County.
When you or someone you love is dealing with substance abuse, it’s important to understand what’s going on so you can get help. That’s where the 4 Cs of substance abuse come in. The 4 C’s of substance abuse are a straightforward framework for describing addiction as a mental health disorder requiring professional treatment. They include:
Craving
Control
Compulsion
Consequences
Let’s break down what the 4 C’s mean and what they mean for you.
Craving
Most people have experienced cravings in one form or another. But cravings associated with addiction are very difficult to ignore or redirect from. Cravings are caused by a trigger, which could be a smell, taste, activity, or something else that the person associates with substance use.
This could be a stressful situation that might drive someone to escape by having a few drinks, or even being around people they used to do drugs with. Treatments like behavioral health therapy can help change behavior around triggers to make cravings more manageable.
Control
When describing addiction and substance abuse, control refers to loss of control over the amount or frequency of use. Someone living with addiction might only want to have one drink, but they aren’t able to exercise control and keep it to just one once they start. This can go along with feelings of guilt and depression as well.
Compulsion
The compulsion to use is a strong characteristic of addiction. A compulsion is an overwhelming, uncontrollable urge to do something (in this case, using substances like drugs or alcohol). It’s not the same as just making a choice to do or consume something. It’s tied strongly to either removing discomfort or finding pleasure. Many experts consider compulsion to come from substance use rewiring of the brain, part of what informs the treatment of addiction as a disease.
Consequences
Specifically, this refers to substance use despite consequences. Consequences might be social, medical, legal, or financial. Legal consequences come with using illegal substances and getting caught, or behaviors like driving under the influence leading to a DUI. Financial consequences include the costs of buying drugs or alcohol, lost wages from missed work or a lost job resulting from substance abuse, and fines or citations from things like DUIs or possession charges.
Some social consequences might be stigma associated with the type of substance abuse, or harm to relationships caused by the substance use. Medical consequences could be hangovers from drinking too much, withdrawal symptoms, or long-term health impacts.
If you’re noticing the 4 C’s are impacting your life, it’s time to seek help.
Community Health Partners can help you in your addiction recovery, whether that means addressing substance abuse through behavioral health therapy or healing from medical consequences associated with substance use. Reach out to a CHP clinic in Bozeman, Belgrade or Livingston to receive affordable, quality care. And you can find behavioral health care in West Yellowstone, too.
