Substance use coercion is a form of abuse in which an individual manipulates or controls their partner’s use of substances, often as part of a broader pattern of coercive control. This dangerous and underrecognized tactic not only deepens the survivor’s dependence on the abuser but also creates significant barriers to safety, recovery, and long-term wellbeing.
Like other forms of coercive control, substance use coercion strips victims of their autonomy, making it difficult for them to access resources and services, including healthcare and substance use treatment, or to achieve economic stability.
What is Substance Use Coercion?
Substance use coercion refers to tactics used by abusive partners to manipulate a survivor’s use of alcohol or drugs as a means of control. This can range from introducing a partner to drugs to interfering with their efforts to seek treatment or recovery.
Abusers may also use their partner’s substance use to undermine their reputation with friends, family, or legal authorities, leveraging the stigma surrounding substance use to keep victims trapped in a cycle of abuse.
Individuals often face societal discrimination and judgment due to substance use, which makes it easier for abusers to discredit them. By manipulating substance use or threatening to expose it, an abuser exerts power over their partner’s life in ways that are deeply harmful and difficult to escape.
Common Tactics of Substance Use Coercion
Abusive people use a wide variety of tactics to control their partner’s substance use. These tactics can include:
- Introducing or forcing substance use: In some cases, abusive partners may introduce their victims to drugs or alcohol or pressure them into using more than they want. This creates a dependence on the substances and increases their vulnerability by impairing their judgment and self-control.
- Sabotaging recovery: Upon attempting to break free from substance use, abusers may actively sabotage the victim’s efforts. This can include withholding transportation to treatment appointments, forcing them to reduce medication doses without consulting a doctor, or stalking them at recovery programs to intimidate them.
- Using substance use to discredit or threaten: Abusers may threaten to expose a victim’s substance use to authorities, family members, or child protective services to prevent them from seeking help or leaving the relationship. In some cases, abusers plant drug paraphernalia or accuse victims of using substances to justify further control or manipulation.
- Controlling access to substances: An abusive partner may control a victim’s access to substances. The abuser may control the supply of drugs or alcohol, creating dependence and threatening withdrawal or violence if their partner tries to resist or seek help. This dynamic can escalate the risk of overdose or increase the victim’s vulnerability to dangerous behaviours like unprotected sex or illegal activities.
- Coercing into illegal activities: Abusers may coerce victims into illegal activities, such as sex work or drug trafficking, to obtain substances. Victims are often caught in a double bind where they are forced into these activities but then face violence, abuse, and further manipulation because of them.
The Devastating Impact of Substance Use Coercion
The effects of substance use coercion are far-reaching and devastating. Victims of this form of abuse face unique barriers that make it difficult to access services, achieve recovery, and regain control of their lives. These barriers include:
- Mental and physical health consequences: The stress and trauma of substance use coercion can have serious consequences for an individual’s mental and physical health. This type of coercion often exacerbates pre-existing substance use issues and can lead to an increased risk of overdose or long-term addiction.
- Isolation and entrapment: Substance use coercion often isolates victims from their support systems, as abusers use their substance use as a weapon to discredit them with friends, family, and legal authorities. Victims may also be reluctant to seek help for fear of being judged or arrested, especially if they have been coerced into using substances against their will.
- Economic instability: Victims of substance use coercion often struggle to achieve economic self-sufficiency, as their substance use or criminal records may prevent them from obtaining employment, housing, or social services. Abusers often exploit these vulnerabilities, keeping survivors financially dependent on them.
- Jeopardizing custody: Substance use coercion can put victims at risk of losing custody of their children. Abusers may threaten to report the survivor’s alcohol or drug abuse to child protective services or manipulate legal systems to their advantage, using the stigma of substance use to paint survivors as unfit parents.
- Barriers to treatment and recovery: Victims may face immense difficulty accessing substance use treatment or achieving recovery due to their abusers’ active interference. For example, abusers may prevent their partners from attending appointments or force them to reduce their medication dosage, often escalating violence when victims attempt to get clean.
Seeking Support and Breaking Free
If you’re experiencing substance use coercion, it’s important to know that you deserve to live free from manipulation and control. This form of abuse can feel overwhelming, but with the right support, you can take steps toward safety and recovery. Recognizing the tactics of abuse is the first step, and seeking help, whether through trusted individuals or professionals, can be crucial in reclaiming your independence and wellbeing.
No one should face these challenges alone, and breaking free from abuse is possible. Take the steps you need to protect yourself and remember that you are entitled to a life free from fear and coercion. You have the strength to regain control and move forward toward a healthier, safer future.
References
National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, And Mental Health (N.D). Substance Use Coercion, Opioids, and Domestic Violence. National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, And Mental Health.
Phillips, Heather; Carole, Warshaw & Orapan Kaewkwn (2022). Literature Review: Intimate partner Violence, Substance Use Coercion, and the Need for Integrated Service Models. National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health.
Featured images: Substance use coercion is a hidden form of abuse. Source: KMPZZZ / Adobe Stock
