
In San Bernardino County, the median income for residents is about 16% less than the average for the entire state of California, and 21% of the population lives below the federal poverty level, according to the California Department of Public Health.1 In many cases, those who are living in poverty, like those who are living in luxury, tend to have higher rates of substance use and abuse.
Why? There are a number of possibilities. Some people might feel that they don’t have a lot of money for vacations or eating out, but they can afford alcohol when it’s time to celebrate or relax. Others may have mental health issues and do not have insurance or the money to afford treatment, so they attempt to “self-medicate” with drugs or alcohol. For others, if there is stress related to money or job security, then they may drink or use drugs as a coping mechanism for that stress.
The fact is, however, that at all economic levels, drugs and alcohol are used for all the reasons listed above. Celebration, relaxation, self-medication, and stress management—all of these are commonly cited reasons for compulsive use of substances among all who struggle with addiction.
Are you or your loved one using drugs and alcohol to help get through the day or get through a hard time that never seems to end? Connect with treatment that can help today. Call for information about a comprehensive addiction treatment plan to suit your needs.
[1]. California Department of Public Health. San Bernardino County Maternal Child and Adolescent Health Community Profile 2017-18.










I came to Revival Recovery Services with one hope: that God change my heart from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh as the Lord promises in Ezekiel 36:26. I was a man who had come to believe the lie of a life ravaged by alcohol and drugs that he had no heart left. Revival provided a loving environment, safe from the influences of a world in which my being did not seem to fit. It is by God’s grace through the sacrifice of his only son, Jesus Christ, that I found redemption here. I leave a new man, with a new identity, and a new purpose. I leave here fit with the heart God intended me to find.