Jax's Experts in Practice Journey
Hi! My name is Jax McNulty and I am a social worker in the adult contact team (ACT). I qualified in social work practice in 2022. From 2024, I have a particular interest in better understanding self-medication/substance misuse.
As a practitioner working with individuals who self-medicate, I often find that the presenting needs are complex and often misunderstood. In the wider community, many people do not appear to understand why or how someone could become addicted to substances. They may assume that those who use substances lack moral principles or willpower and that they could stop their substance use by simply choosing to. In reality, this is a complex issue and quitting usually takes more than good intentions or strong will.
There is no age limit on self-medication and according to Galvani (2023) in 2019, the UK government’s advisory body, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) published a report highlighting the growing number of ‘older’ people in drug treatment services. It stated: “Ageing, added to the effects of long-term heavy drug use, means that this cohort is now experiencing a range of issues, including deteriorating physical and mental health.
It is also a common theme that self-medication can go hand in hand with self-neglect.
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