Stress is a part of daily life. Unfortunately, compounded and prolonged stress is increasingly common. For the most part, people recognize they are stressed but don’t know how to help themselves or others. Stress can often lead to anxiety and anxiety disorders. The best way to treat stress and anxiety is through an anxiety treatment center. This month, take the time to engage in National Stress Awareness Month and find the support you and your loved ones need to manage stress and anxiety.
If you or someone in your life is struggling with stress and anxiety, Portland Oregon’s Crestview Recovery can help. Reach out today at 866.262.0531 to learn more about our anxiety treatment center.
What Is Stress Awareness Month?
April is Stress Awareness Month. Like other month-long awareness events, Stress Awareness Month provides the opportunity to de-stigmatize stress and anxiety while promoting healthy treatment options. Because stress is a part of daily life, stress awareness can help people understand the signs of stress, reduce triggers, and spot anxiety disorders for early intervention treatments. This month, take the time to educate yourself, start conversations, and get the support you need for stress and anxiety.
Understanding Stress and Anxiety Disorders
Stress and anxiety are physical, emotional, and mental responses. Stress and anxiety trigger the body to move from a state of calm to a state of fight, flight, or freeze. Also called dysregulation, fight, flight, or freeze triggers adrenaline, cortisol, and other chemicals designed to help the body survive life-threatening events. Unfortunately, stress and anxiety trigger these responses when the body is not in danger.
Stress and anxiety disorders can trigger stress responses without real threat. Anxiety is a physical response to something that has happened in the past or something that may happen in the future. Most stress comes from worrying about the future or ruminating over something that happened in the past. Stress and anxiety can cause:
- Confusion
- Palpitations
- Hyperventilation
- Disturbed sleep
- Constant fear or worry
- Changes in appetite
- Digestive problems
- Feeling on edge
- Trouble relaxing
- Trouble de-stressing
- Difficulty staying present in conversations, while driving, etc.
These are only a few effects of stress and anxiety. Long-term and prolonged stress and anxiety can lead to self-medicating and self-soothing with drugs and alcohol. Stress can cause damage to multiple organ systems if left untreated for long periods of time. When someone is experiencing a stress response, they may become irrational, reactionary, and difficult to talk to. If these signs sound familiar, it’s time to look for professional support.
Learn More About Stress and Anxiety Disorder Treatment in Portland Oregon
If you or someone you love is struggling with anxiety and stress, you are not alone. Unfortunately, prolonged stress has become a normal part of daily modern life. This leads many people to seek solace in drugs, alcohol, and addictive behaviors. Unfortunately, once the nervous system becomes dysregulated, it’s hard to return to a state of calm.
If you’re struggling, let the team at Crestview Recovery help. Portland’s Crestview Recovery provides comprehensive treatment and support for anxiety, stress, and other co-occurring disorders. Our flexible programs provide dual diagnosis for successful, holistic recovery. With trauma-informed treatment, our therapists can help you and your loved ones get to the root causes of anxiety and stress through cognitive-behavioral and dialectical behavioral therapy.
With individual, group, and family counseling, our inpatient and outpatient programs can show you how to manage, treat, and overcome anxiety disorders.
Start Stress and Anxiety Treatment at Crestview Recovery Today
If you’re dealing with stress, Crestview can help. Call us now 866.262.0531 for more information on stress awareness and learn how we can support your recovery.

Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.