Anxiety and Addiction
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems. It is also one of the most treatable conditions, but only a small proportion of people with anxiety get properly treated. Mental illness still has a big enough stigma that admitting it, even to a professional in confidence, can seem like a personal failure. Worse, some people with significant anxiety problems attempt to self medicate with drugs and alcohol. It provides some level of temporary relief, but in the end it creates another monster.
Suffering With Anxiety
Many people suffer and change their entire lifestyle in an attempt to reduce what makes them anxious. They may never really feel relief, but they may feel some sense of control. This may actually alienate the people they need most in their life, such as family and friends. If they are too paralyzed by anxiety to admit they need help, they may end up suffering with their problems alone.
You can see why someone might turn to drugs or alcohol to help them with their anxiety problems. They may think that a few drinks will help settle their nerves, or prescription pain pills will finally calm their mind. Depending on how severe their anxiety is, a person may have trouble giving up this seemingly quick fix. They may never intend for it to get out of control. But if they rely heavily on the drug’s effects for daily functioning, they may quickly find themselves in the quicksand of an addiction.
Controlling The Uncontrollable
A person with anxiety and addiction may fiercely believe they are in control of it, even when it consumes their daily life. The thing a person with anxiety wants the most is some sense of being in control of themselves. That is a very normal desire, but drugs and alcohol are a very unhealthy way to meet this need. Medication along with good consistent counseling will give the best results. But again, this requires some level of admitting something is out of their control enough that they need help.
For some people with anxiety, this admission will only make them feel worse. Drugs and alcohol can give them some way to feel like they are solving their problem, being in more control and escaping the constant grind of their symptoms. They may fear giving up their escape more than anything else after some time.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Commonly Paired With Addiction
It is not uncommon for people who have been through trauma and abuse to develop post-traumatic stress disorder. This is an anxiety disorder with exaggerated sense of alertness to threat and flashbacks of the trauma they have faced. This can be so distressing that drugs and alcohol may become a very attainable escape from the horror. They can’t stop reliving the nightmare and end up being hypervigilant, never relaxing or letting their guard down. When this becomes exhausting and overwhelming, drugs and alcohol may be the simplest answer. Anything to make it stop, even for a short while.
Dual Diagnosis Drug Treatment For Anxiety and Addiction
Drug treatment for someone with an anxiety disorder is more complex. Dual diagnosis treatment is a special type of drug treatment that puts equal focus on the addiction and the mental disorder. If the anxiety is not properly treated, the person is much more vulnerable to relapse. People with addiction and anxiety usually just want relief, not more problems. Dual diagnosis treatment is the way out – call to learn more today.
