In the buzzing laneways and sleek office towers of Melbourne, there exists a parallel reality that rarely makes it into our cultural conversations. Between the flat whites and footy matches lies a complex relationship with substances that many high-functioning professionals maintain alongside successful careers and social lives.
As someone who’s called Melbourne home for years, I’ve watched friends balance demanding jobs with regular substance use—whether it’s the after-work drinks that stretch well into the night, the weekend spliffs that help unwind after a stressful week, or the lines of cocaine that fuel long nights in the city’s endless nightlife.
The Melbourne Paradox
Melbourne prides itself on its sophistication—our coffee culture, arts scene, and progressive politics. Yet there remains a curious silence around how substances weave through the fabric of professional life here.
“I manage a team of fifteen during the day and manage my anxiety with cannabis at night,” says a friend who works in finance. “It’s not something I’d ever mention at work, but it’s far more common than people think.”
This duality creates a strange disconnect. The same colleague who might raise an eyebrow at someone calling in sick might themselves be recovering from a cocaine comedown behind closed doors.
Beyond Stereotypes
The stereotype of substance users rarely matches reality in Melbourne. The image of the dysfunctional addict simply doesn’t align with the product manager who smokes cannabis three nights a week, the barrister who enjoys cocaine at dinner parties, or the creative director whose weekend MDMA use has become something of a ritual.
These aren’t people whose lives are falling apart—they’re individuals who hold down mortgages in our absurdly expensive housing market, maintain relationships, and contribute meaningfully to their workplaces and communities.
The Deeper Story: Coping Mechanisms and Substance Use Treatment
For many high-functioning Melburnians, regular substance use serves as a coping mechanism—one that may be masking deeper psychological needs. While substances can provide temporary relief, they often paper over underlying issues rather than resolving them.
“I spent years thinking my weekend cocaine use was just part of my social life,” shares a marketing executive who recently started therapy. “It took a good psychologist to help me see I was self-medicating for undiagnosed ADHD and childhood trauma. The coke wasn’t the problem—it was a symptom.”
Melbourne’s robust mental health community offers alternatives that many professionals are slowly embracing. Psychological therapy provides tools to address the root causes that drive substance use, rather than simply managing the symptoms.
“Substance use treatment gave me what substances never could—actual resolution,” explains a hospitality manager. “My drinking wasn’t about enjoyment; it was about numbing feelings I didn’t know how to process. My psychologist helped me develop healthier coping strategies that don’t come with a hangover.”
This isn’t to suggest that all substance use stems from trauma or mental health issues—human relationships with substances are far more complex than that. But for many, regular substance use does function as a dysfunctional coping strategy that therapy can help replace with more sustainable approaches.
The Harm Minimisation Conversation We Need to Have
Rather than pretending this reality doesn’t exist, Melbourne would benefit from an honest conversation about harm minimisation. After all, we’re a city that pioneered needle exchange programs and safe injecting facilities—we understand that prohibition and judgment rarely lead to better outcomes.
For professionals who do use substances, access to reliable information about safer use practices remains crucial but often elusive. Many rely on whisper networks and unreliable sources rather than evidence-based approaches.
“I know exactly what I’m doing when it comes to my work, but when it comes to cocaine, I’m relying on what mates tell me,” admits a solicitor friend. “That doesn’t seem right, does it?”
The Cultural Context
Melbourne’s relationship with substances is inseparable from our broader culture. Our social lives often revolve around venues where alcohol flows freely. Our work culture—despite all the wellness talk—still often glorifies burnout and stress.
“After a 70-hour week, the choice between numbing out with substances or staring at the ceiling with anxiety doesn’t feel like much of a choice,” explains a tech worker friend. “I’m not saying it’s healthy, but it’s the reality many of us live with.”
A Dual Approach: Harm Reduction and Healing
A comprehensive approach to substance use in Melbourne’s professional circles would ideally combine harm reduction strategies with accessible mental health support. This means:
- Acknowledging that substance use exists across all sectors of Melbourne society
- Providing evidence-based information about safer use practices
- Destigmatising both substance use AND seeking substance use treatment
- Creating workplace cultures that address the burnout and stress that often drive substance use
- Expanding access to quality psychological services and substance use treatment programs, which remain difficult to access despite Medicare rebates
“The most transformative thing for me wasn’t stopping cocaine use—it was starting therapy,” says an architect friend. “Once I addressed what was underneath my use, my relationship with substances changed naturally. I didn’t need external control because I found internal regulation.”
Moving Forward
What might a more honest approach look like? Perhaps it starts with acknowledging that substance use exists across all sectors of Melbourne society, including among our most “successful” citizens. From there, we can have conversations about safer use, support, and the underlying factors that drive people toward substances in the first place.
This isn’t about promoting drug use—it’s about recognising reality and reducing harm. It’s about creating spaces where people don’t need to hide significant parts of their lives out of fear of judgment, and where seeking psychological support is viewed as a strength rather than a weakness.
Melbourne has always prided itself on being progressive and pragmatic. Extending that approach to how we talk about substances among our professional class seems like a natural next step—one that includes both harm reduction strategies and healing pathways through effective substance use treatment and therapy.
For now, the paradox continues: high-functioning by day, self-medicating by night. Perhaps it’s time we brought this conversation out of the shadows and into the light of our famous Melbourne laneways—and maybe, for some, toward the compassionate substance use treatment options our city offers as well.
