Substance Abuse and Disability
Yes, people with disabilities abuse alcohol and drugs. In earlier generations, when people with disabilities were kept at home, in separate schools or classrooms, there were less chances for involvement with alcohol and drugs. Times have changed. In fact, substance abuse is now MORE common among people with physical and learning disabilities than among those without disabilities. Just as with the rest of society, under-age drinking is a problem as well. Youth with disabilities abuse alcohol and other drugs for a lot of reasons. Some of these are the same as for other youth, and some reasons are related to having a disability. Students may want to feel accepted, and while they can’t be in the classroom and learn with the other kids, they can go to a party and drink with the other kids.
Don't make the mistake of excusing the behavior, "If I had a disability, I would drink,too."
People with more severe disabilities may be excused for their behavior or protected from its consequences. Again, this is something that may happen to anyone on the reservation, but may be more common for people with disabilities.
Also, don't overlook warning signs as due to disability rather than substance abuse. What should you look for? Many of the same signs in people without a disability.
- Changes in behavior, such as difficulty getting to school or work on time, when the person has not had such a problem in the past.
- Increased incidence of accidents or violent behavior. Men who drink are eight times as likely to act violent when they have been drinking compared to when they are sober. Yes, falls and other accidents may be due to physical disability, but if the person has had the disability for a long time and is only recently having such problems it may be a sign of something more than disability.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE CAN BE MORE SERIOUS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES