More often than not, after a long and hard work day people will come home and numb their pain with alcohol or drugs. This is usually because people lack coping skills to deal with their feelings and issues. Whatever the case, it may start out being a once a week occurrence but before long could turn into a daily occurrence which could lead to an addiction.

Popular Canadian newspaper, The Globe and Mail conducted a survey titled “Your Life at Work Survey,” to gather information about people’s work days and alcohol or drugs. The survey looked at what causes you to stress, how it affects you, if you cope with the stress and finally how the stress influences your performance at work. Over six thousand people participated in the survey over the course of eight months.

The Globe and Mail found that people who reportedly had high coping skills also had low involvement with drugs, alcohol and other addictive activities. These people also had lower stress levels and health risks. However, people who have low levels of coping skills are more likely to reach for a drink or a drug. This study shows that it is important to learn good coping skills in order to lessen your chance of addiction.