The Connection Between Anxiety and Addiction
If you have ever experienced feelings of anxiety, you have probably felt some of the crippling side effects that can occur. It is common for individuals to search for a way to ease their symptoms of anxiety and, for many, the escape through drugs or alcohol can feel like that is the only way to lessen the severity of your symptoms. Compared to those who don’t live with anxiety, there are more individuals turning to drugs or alcohol that are living with anxiety disorders.
Having an anxiety disorder paired with a substance use disorder is commonly referred to as a dual diagnosis or a co-occurring disorder. It is common for individuals living with mental health or other medical concern to turn to drugs or alcohol for the following reasons:
[checklist]- Self medicating- As symptoms from your co-occuring disorder presents themselves, many will look for ways to numb the feelings or escape the unpleasant side effects with the use of substances.
- Genetic predisposition- Research has shown that there is genetic correlation between anxiety and substance use. Those who are prone to anxiety disorders often have a higher likelihood of developing a substance use disorder especially if there is family history.
- Biochemical factors- Both co-occurring disorders have been shown to have effects on chemical imbalances on the brain.
- Withdrawal effects- Patients going through drug or alcohol withdrawal will often feel side effects that resemble anxiety. This can, in turn, make it challenging for patients to stick out their detox process because the coping strategy they are used to is using substances to cope with feelings of anxiety.
Symptoms of Anxiety
Anxiety will look different for each patient and symptoms will vary depending on each person’s chemical makeup and severity of symptoms. Common symptoms and warning signs of anxiety within patients are:
[checklist]- Disabling fear- Either general fears or specific, patient will experience these intrusive levels of fear on most days throughout the week
- Continued attempts to get over fears or learn to cope with them without any success
- An inability to maintain relationships, job performance duties, or stay on top of academic studies due to this crippling fear
- Turning to substance use as a means of coping
Physical symptoms that happen within someone who is experiencing anxiety are:
[checklist]- Stomach pain
- Nausea
- Accelerated heart rate
- Inability to sleep
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
- Inability to focus or concentrate
What Causes Anxiety?
Anxiety is a complex disorder as it affects each person differently and research has shown that there have been multiple factors that can contribute to the onset of anxiety including:
[checklist]- Family history
- Substance use
- History of trauma/ traumatic incident occurring
- Other presenting mental health concerns occuring within the patient
- Overexposure to stress
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Symptoms of Alcohol Use Disorder
Similar to anxiety disorder, alcohol use disorder is an individual disease that will present itself differently in each user. Here are some common signs and symptoms that indicate you or a loved one may be living with an alcohol use disorder:
[checklist]- Talking about wanting to quit alcohol but find yourself unable to stop
- Lying about your drinking or hiding it from others
- Impaired memory
- Engaging in high risk behavior such as drunk driving
- Experiencing distress if there is no alcohol accessible to you
- Decline in work, school and family commitments
- Poor coordination
- Devoting a significant amount of time to thinking about or planning your next drink
- Experiencing strong urges to drink when not drinking
- Feeling withdrawal symptoms and needing to drink to ease those symptoms
Treatment for Anxiety and Addiction
In order to provide the best possible treatment for someone living with a dual diagnosis, you will need to enroll in a treatment program that focuses on treating both co-occurring disorders. These programs are designed to support patients in finding therapeutic support for both presenting conditions separately as well as focusing on how your co-occurring disorders can impact one another. Through this comprehensive approach to treatment, you will learn new holistic therapy measures that will provide you relief from your anxiety symptoms through natural forms of treatment including acupuncture or massage therapy. These methods used will provide you with new resources and tools that you can continue to incorporate even after you transition back home.
Healing the Root Causes of Addiction at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab™
Exclusive Hawaii Rehab™ offers patients a unique approach to addiction treatment that focuses on gaining perspective on the root causes of your addiction. In order to support patients in establishing this, it requires an individualized approach that moves away from the standard 12 step methods. Our program focuses on non 12 step approaches that incorporate various whole person treatment methods that will focus on healing from addiction physically, mentally, and emotionally. When you complete our program, you will have rediscovered who you are and the lifestyle you want to embody that accentuates your newfound life in recovery.
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