I too used alcohol and drugs to control my symptoms. I kept saying that if the doctors would only give me the meds to calm my brain and body, I wouldn't have to use. I really believed that for many years.
What I found to be the truth was that the longer I used, the less it worked and the support I had around me was very unhealthy, negative, and eventually self-destructive. I was extremely frustrated that I couldn't find anyone who could diagnosis me, and when they did, the meds never worked and often times caused side effects that I hated. I felt like I was going around in circles and thought that self medicating was better. When I was having problems it was end of 70's-80's. I lived in the south in a pretty small town with limited mental health professionals. They said they could help me but never did, so I felt my decision was the only one available.
It wasn't until 9 years after getting married and moved to a city that I finally had no choice but to get professional help. I was so afraid I would get worse if I stopped using, and I did, but only for a short time. My life at that time was so chaotic (nightmares, alters, depression, attempted suicides, dissociation, self mutilation, flashbacks) and it was all because of symptoms caused by untreated mental illness. When I got rid of the drugs and alcohol, the real symptoms could come out and therefore could be treated properly. My using created a HUGE mask over the real problems to work on. I never knew how much I had injured myself with them until I broke the addiction. I was a binge drinker (to the point of poisoning or blackout) and pot was my drug of choice for so many years.
My experiences, IMO, allowed me to see that when you have the disease of addiction, anything can cause it to raise it's ugly head and take over your life giving you false reasons why staying addicted is the answer for you. Anything can trigger that response, ie. drugs, eating, sex, whatever we love the most. It was a crutch for me to be able to say, "see, I have everything under control...I don't need anyone to tell me!" What a dangerous and untruthful place to be. What if you have the addiction tendency and are covering up your potential with your drug of choice? Can you say for sure you're not an addict? Do you use mind altering substances to cover your pain?