Addiction and anxiety: two topics that aren’t easy to talk about. But it’s important we do. These issues are more prevalent today than ever before. It’s common for people to experience both at the same time. Addiction and anxiety can impact relationships with family members, friends, and coworkers. They can also disrupt someone’s quality of life, making them feel like they’re hopeless and full of despair. No one deserves to feel this way.
At Laguna View Detox, we’re dedicated to treating both issues with love and care and stopping the stigma associated with both issues. Our dual-diagnosis program tackles addiction and mental health head-on. We utilize therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), along with individual and group therapy, to teach our clients the coping skills needed to overcome mental health disorders and addiction. Today we’d like to talk about how addiction and anxiety affect each other.
What is Addiction?
Addiction is a substance use disorder. People develop addiction because the pleasure centers of the brain end up getting rewired after repeated drug or alcohol use. When someone ingests drugs, alcohol, or goes through an exciting experience, this can trigger the pleasure centers of the brain. This feeling creates a high that the brain interprets as being necessary for survival. As a result, people feel that they need that addictive substance in order to remain alive. They develop cravings for that substance in the same manner that people get hungry or thirsty.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders. It happens when your body responds to stress. It’s a feeling everyone will experience occasionally in life, but when someone experiences persistent feelings of nervousness and worry, they have an anxiety disorder. In some cases, anxiety is generalized. In other cases, anxiety might be specific. Anxiety can occur randomly in generalized disorders and the constant feeling of being worried can last for about six months at a time. Some triggers that might lead to anxiety when it occurs in specific situations include concerns about relationships, money, family, work, or other life issues.
How do the Two Work Together?
Addiction and anxiety can go hand in hand. People who suffer from anxiety are two to three more times likely to develop a substance abuse disorder. Those who suffer from anxiety have issues controlling their worries and may even experience panic attacks. Panic attacks are treated using benzodiazepines, such as Xanax. These medications are incredibly addictive. Those who become dependent on benzos are prone to becoming addicted to them. Those who suffer from anxiety might have trouble controlling their feelings using traditional medical therapy. This could cause people to turn to alcohol instead, leading to alcoholism.
In other cases, addiction might precede anxiety. Those who suffer from addictive disorders have plenty of issues they worry about. Addiction stresses relationships with family members, threatening marriages. Those who spend money feeding their addiction are prone to developing financial difficulties. People might end up losing their job due to addiction, making everything worse. It is easy to see how addiction can lead to anxiety, which complicates the addiction treatment process.
If you are suffering from addiction and anxiety, it’s important to address both issues. Once you overcome addiction, your anxiety will still be there.
We Can Help You with Both
At Laguna View Detox, we offer a luxury drug & alcohol treatment program along with dual diagnosis. We’re dedicated to helping our clients with their addiction and coexisting conditions. We are based in the beautiful region of Laguna Beach, CA. Our unique luxury program provides the ultimate individualized care. Contact us today to get help!