Drug use is often triggered by stressful moments in an individual’s life. As modern living becomes more and more stressful, many more people are likely falling victim to the dangers of drug use to cope with this stress. As a result, it is vital to learn how stress management and addiction recovery can help a person regain a sober lifestyle. The following information should help you better understand this process of recovery. It will also give you the insight that you need to avoid health complications during your addiction treatment. Read on to learn more about the relationship between stress and addiction and how stress management can help you in your recovery.
Stress and Addiction Often Co-Exist
Multiple studies have confirmed that stress management and addiction recovery must go hand-in-hand when managing substance use. This is because drug use and stress are often profoundly connected in many ways. For example, stressful situations may trigger drug abuse in a variety of ways, including:
- Self-medication or the use of drugs to calm the nerves
- Slowing down a racing mind with a depressant
- Using a stimulant to handle life’s stressful demands
- Abusing alcohol or other drugs with friends to “wind-down”
These situations often trigger abusive behaviors that can become an addictive pattern. For example, a person may drink three or four beers at the end of every workday. They justify this abuse due to their stress in their lives and the effects that this stress has on their nerves. This type of self-justification is common when people abuse drugs and alcohol to manage stress. Therefore, it is essential to understand how to use healthy stress management and addiction recovery methods to overcome difficulties in our lives. At Crestview Recovery, we will teach you how to form healthy treatment methods that help you deal with stress. Doing so can help you avoid needless stress and suffering through drugs and addiction.
Stress Management and Addiction Recovery
Just as stress and addiction go hand-in-hand, stress management and addiction recovery work together to help your treatment process. These two processes typically include a myriad of steps that make them successful. For example, a typical stress management program includes various types of meditation, healing breathing, positive ideation, and even medication to help you decrease the stress in your life.
In rehab, an individual will typically work with a dual-diagnosis professional to understand how stress contributes to their addiction. This process helps a person to identify the stressful situations that trigger them to use drugs. These causes could be situations such as bad traffic, fights with family members, or even issues with work. By understanding stress management and addiction recovery, it is possible to decrease both of these issues simultaneously.
There are many positive results for this program. They include a clear mind, a relaxed body, and the ability to fight off addiction impulses when they arise. For example, if a person runs into a stressful situation, they now have more tools and coping methods to help them overcome this stress without drugs. Now, they can turn to meditation, positive thoughts, and other relaxation methods to minimize their stress and avoid turning to drugs to calm their nerves.
Learn These Critical Skills
If stress management and addiction recovery are two skills that you want to learn as soon as possible, please do not hesitate to call 866.262.0531 to contact us at Crestview Recovery. Our professionals have the necessary skills required to manage the demands of your recovery. We can provide high-quality dual-diagnosis, outpatient care, partial hospitalization, and more. Verify your insurance to get started on your road to 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.
