The relationship between anxiety disorders and substance use disorders is complex. On the one hand, the continued use of substances can lead us to experience anxiety problems. On the other hand, some anxiety disorders can lead to increased substance use.
If we want to know how to treat anxiety due to substance use, we must first know that, depending on the nature of the substance, it can occur with anxiety crises, phobias, obsessions and/or compulsions, both during intoxication itself and during periods of abstinence. These substances include: caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, etc.
Anxiety Due To Substance Use: Relationship Between Anxiety And Addiction And How To Work It
As for how to treat anxiety due to substance use, let’s see what relationship there is between having an addiction and having anxiety. Whatever the substance consumed will act in a very similar way in our brain. We cannot forget that this consumption coping with anxiety in recovery often has the function of trying to cover up the anxiety that remains hidden.
Imagine a person experiencing anxiety. She feels nervous and what she tries to do is calm down. One day she discovers that drinking alcohol makes her feel better. Her emotions have gone numb and without realizing it she receives that reward. Next time she will drink alcohol again.
But am I coping well with how to deal with anxiety about substance use? The answer is no. Because this emotional improvement will be momentary, the discomfort will not disappear but it will make it worse.
I will enter a vicious circle because I will start to feel bad about drinking. I will start to have behaviors that have never been within my repertoire of behaviors such as putting aside family responsibilities, my partner, I will isolate myself, etc.
This whole process will make me feel guilty. This emotion will help me at first to go through periods of abstinence, but since the problems are not resolved, my anxiety will grow. The anxiety does not go away on its own, and since I have not learned problem-solving and emotional management tools, I will want to use again. Let’s not forget that the brain has learned to calm down by consuming substances, in this case alcohol.
Relapse and guilt will appear and emotional discomfort will increase. This will reinforce the cycle of anxiety and substance use.
How can I get out of this vicious circle? How to treat anxiety due to substance use? What do I do to get out of the cycle of guilt-use behavior-withdrawal-discomfort and anxiety?
First, you have to recognize the existence of a substance use problem. Once this acknowledgment has been made, I must, through a commitment, start a treatment program to abandon this substance use. Let’s not forget that when we completely stop consuming we must overcome the period of abstinence and this is not easy to do without the help of a professional.
All of my energy needs to go into how to deal with substance use anxiety, but I won’t be able to do that without changes in my life environment. I must start having relationships with healthy people, take care of my diet, play sports…, and start putting limits on those situations or people that can drag me to use substances again. Sometimes addictions are fueled by an unhealthy lifestyle.
But to achieve this, this will not be enough, we must learn new tools and skills to identify and manage emotions. Also, learn social conflict resolution skills.
It is true that we all have many problems in our day to day, with the family, with the children, at school, work, with the couple, etc. But when you learn to relate in a more assertive way, it will be easier for you to learn to negotiate and keep your stress and anxiety levels lower.
Another section of this article on how to treat anxiety due to substance use would correspond to obtaining self-regulation and social skills. They are crucial because they are going to provide you with tools so that the next time you find yourself in the situation of consuming substances again, you will know how to face the discomfort you are feeling and avoid said consumption.
You must also analyze and recognize what your stressors are and/or the unresolved traumas and conflicts that have led you there, in order to develop an action plan and address those difficulties that are at the root of the problem. It will also be important to learn to set limits before falling into a situation that you cannot handle, that generates anxiety and that you try to avoid by consuming substances.
The perception we have of this discomfort caused by anxiety translates into negative thoughts and feelings, perception of high physiological activation, etc.
When we see how to treat anxiety due to substance use, we realize that there is an increase, both in the need to consume, and in the anxiety that is tried to be avoided. If there is also dependence on that substance, the anxiety will be especially intense in the withdrawal phases. And so, the consumption aims to avoid the symptoms of anxiety. For this reason, in the treatment of some addictions, anxiety is an important phenomenon to treat. The goal of such treatment will be to reduce the manifestations of anxiety without substance use.
How to treat anxiety about substance use?
The best treatment, without a doubt, to eliminate consumption should include a specific treatment to reduce anxiety. Not only does anxiety lead to drug use, but drug use and withdrawal lead to anxiety. The relationship between anxiety and consumption is bidirectional.
Of all these points on how to treat anxiety due to substance use, surely the most important and already mentioned in this article is that you put yourself in the hands of professionals to carry out an intervention adapted to you and what you need. At soberatx.com we offer you our help so that you can work on that anxiety due to substance use.
