By: Lakeview Health
For many suffering from addiction, feelings of stress often accompany their addiction. Frequently, their abusive habits may begin as a way to deal with the stress they were feeling in their everyday lives. Turning to drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism creates harmful habits that can lead to abuse. This is often how drug habits surrounding cocaine, ecstasy, or other party drugs are created. When dealing with stress and addiction, taking the time to properly address these feelings is very important. Few things can be as harmful as addiction or as stressful as beginning long-term sobriety, and the combination of the two may prove too much. Here are some ways that continued addiction and stress may affect you when it comes to maintaining a sober lifestyle.
Stress and Addiction Can Strike At Any Time
For many, making the decision to seek drug rehab is accomplished in a moment of clarity. Addiction and the stress it brings are both chronic in nature, and are known to flare up at a moment’s notice. This is especially true for those who have abused stimulants, as they cause radical changes in the brain’s chemistry. Dealing with sudden flare ups of addiction or stress can take away from the focus required to maintain sobriety. Many people require long-term treatment to ensure that their sobriety is not compromised.
Stress and Addiction Can Make It Difficult To Focus On Treatment
It’s only possible to receive as much out of a treatment program as those suffering from addiction are willing or capable of putting back in. All too often, working through a program without focusing on applying the techniques that are being taught can lead directly back to a life of addiction. When stress or continued addiction is brought into the treatment process, properly focusing on treatment can be nearly impossible. These two things can immediately and crucially impact one’s ability to get better during treatment.
Stress and Addiction Can Make Relapse Seem Like the Only Option
Part of the addiction experience for many substances includes a physical dependence. This is when your body begins to physically crave a substance, which is a very difficult thing to simply ignore. For many people, the stress and addiction that is added from this craving can make avoiding relapse nearly impossible. Without professional treatment during this time, many patients’ long-term sobriety can be severely compromised by these cravings. If you’ve been experiencing stress or renewed bouts of addiction, reach out to Lakeview Health in sunny North Florida at 866.704.7692 today for information on how you can renew your long term sobriety. Sometimes, all it takes is a little help to get back on the road to sober living.
