How Stress Can Impact Addiction

By Web Dev | September 6, 2021 |

Stress itself can be stressful. The word alone may make you start sweating and feeling nervous. But stress is important because it is how your body responds to outside events, changes, and trauma, whether that is a single event, recurring problem, or ongoing issue with no end in sight. Not all stress or the events that cause it are necessarily negative, but anxiety is inherent within them nonetheless. Sadly, there is a proven link between stress and addiction, meaning you may be considering turning to or already have begun to use substances as a way of coping with the stress from the many things happening in your life right now. If you are suffering intense stress and addiction, contact Alina Lodge online or call us at 833.685.1700 today to learn how our anxiety treatment center can help.

Stress and Addiction

The modern world is a stressful place, seemingly getting more stress-inducing by the day. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that there are three main types of stress:

  • Routine stress from everyday events
  • Stress from a sudden and negative change
  • Stress as the result of a traumatic event

When you feel any of these types of stress, there are changes in both your mind and body in response. These changes brought on by high levels of intense stress, because your body and mind could perceive that you are in danger, can actually be life-saving because the brain will switch into an instinctual fight-or-flight mode by:

  • Accelerating your heart rate
  • Spiking your blood pressure
  • Increasing body temperature and respiration rate
  • Making your focus, attention, and five senses sharper
  • Reducing your need to sleep
  • Diminishing your appetite or need to eat

Unfortunately, what your body deems as life-saving could also threaten your life because such heightened senses may also spike your anxiety levels and have you reaching for artificial coping mechanisms through substances and alcohol to make it through another day.

Everyone copes with stress differently, and you may resort to maladaptive measures of managing stress, including abusing drugs. Stress can increase the odds that a person will use drugs; in fact, those exposed to stress are more likely to use mind-altering substances, which is why a long term anxiety treatment program is crucial to treating the root causes of your stress naturally and holistically, instead of turning to chemicals which will only serve to worsen your anxiety over time and expand upon your existing problems.

The Importance of an Anxiety Treatment Program

Stress management techniques taught during an anxiety treatment program can help you learn how to safely cope with struggles and, at the same time, minimize the desire to use drugs again as a way of dealing with anxiety. The result can be a better quality of life in the short and long term, with a focus on relapse prevention to ensure you stay clean and remain focused on your recovery from addiction. Some of what you will learn during the Alina Lodge anxiety treatment program includes:

  • The importance of nutrition
  • Healthy sleep patterns
  • How to exercise
  • Mindfulness meditation
  • Making positive social connections
  • Rebuild family relationships

This holistic, long-term approach to treating your anxiety, managing stress, and relapse prevention focuses on you as a whole person. It will set you up for a lifetime of recovery, both from stress and addiction.

Learn More at Alina Lodge

If you suffer from stress and addiction, long-term, professional help is available to you in a safe space. Learn more about the anxiety treatment program that could be right for you but contacting Alina Lodge using our secure online form or call us at 833.685.1700 today.

Posted in Addiction Treatment, Anxiety Treatment, Dual Diagnosis, Relapse Prevention, substance abuse treatment

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