Several factors can contribute to the abuse of drugs or alcohol. The stress of their jobs is the most apparent reason. Some of the most common causes include: Hospitals Are Ground Zero For Prescription Painkillers, Anti-Anxiety Medications, And Sedatives That Provide Relief From The Stress On The Job. Unfortunately, Someone Who Has Developed An Addiction Can Find Hospitals To Be The Place That Fuels Their Drug Use. Unlimited Access To Drugs Combined With Cravings That Relieve Stress Is Not The Right Combination. Workplace Access With Substances Makes These Professionals More Likely To Use Drugs When Access Is Increased. On Another Note, Someone Sober From Using Drugs May All Be Tempted To Use, Which Can Lead Them Down The Path To Relapse. Health care professionals are looked at for emotional support on a daily basis from patients and their family members. The range of emotions that can be experienced on the job site can be guilt, anxiety, and despair as they walk from one room to another.  They could go into one room and pronounce someone dead, and then walk into another and tell their family member they only have a few hours to live. They could follow this by telling someone their family is going to make it through with a full recovery. The roller coaster of emotions is enough to make anyone cringe. These individuals sometimes have to act as the therapist, the doctor, the nurse, the hero, and everything in between.  Stress also can cause insomnia, and the medical profession can see shifts that range from 12 to 24 hours at a time. Sleep matters in their time off to recharge and reset, but stress can cause nervousness or depression, which causes an inability to sleep. It can factor into substance abuse because they begin using to rest or relax, and then it turns into a full-blown addiction. Health care professionals go from one emotionally tricky situation to another without so much as a minute to decompress, and substance use can relieve some of these internal battles.