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Does Stress Affect Addiction Recovery?
Recovery from a substance abuse disorder (SUD) is a deeply personal and often challenging journey. Throughout this process, you can expect to face moments of uncertainty and stress. That is why managing stress in recovery becomes crucial to staying grounded in the process and avoiding relapse.
We live in a world where everything seems to go a mile a minute, demands are ever-increasing, and we come to think that stress and anxiety are a normal part of life. However, they are not. Those in recovery may need additional support to deal with stress healthily.
Everyday stress leads us to a critical question: Does stress affect addiction recovery? The answer is a resounding yes. Stress can be a silent enemy during recovery, capable of triggering cravings and increasing vulnerability to relapse. However, you can fight back. By understanding how stress works and learning how to manage it, it is possible to move forward with more confidence and balance toward a life free of substances.
In this GateHouse Treatment blog, we’ll explore how stress impacts the recovery process and offer practical strategies for coping with it.
Defining Stress
Stress, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, is the way the brain and body respond to any challenge. We can experience stress by a wide variety of factors, from external events, such as work challenges or family problems, to internal emotions, such as fear and anxiety. In the context of recovery from a substance abuse disorder, these demands can multiply as the body and mind are in a state of adjustment to a new reality without the presence of the substances that previously served as coping mechanisms.
When we are under a state of stress, the brain processes information through the amygdala, which sends alarm signals to the hypothalamus. This process activates the sympathetic nervous system, making our brains release adrenaline and cortisol, which can chronically affect people’s physical and mental health.
The American Psychological Association states that chronic stress can lead to the development of disorders such as anxiety, insomnia, muscle pain, gastrointestinal diseases, high blood pressure, depression, obesity, and heart disease, among others.
Stress and Recovery: What Are the Challenges
Stress is one of the biggest obstacles facing people in recovery. Here are some key factors in which stress can negatively influence the recovery process:
- Trigger Cravings: Stress can activate the same neural pathways as addictive substances, triggering intense cravings. The body of an individual in recovery, used to seeking relief by using the substance, may generate cravings to reduce that feeling.
- Affect Emotions and Stability: Recovery is already emotionally intense. When we add stress to the equation, emotional ups and downs can be more extreme, making it tricky to maintain stability and increasing the feeling of being overwhelmed.
- Increasing the Likelihood of Relapse: Accumulated stresses can cause the brain to seek quick fixes, such as turning to substances to calm down. The risk of relapse is hazardous when the individual hasn’t developed alternative mechanisms to handle the pressure. A study by the European Neuropsychopharmacology found a link between stress and substance abuse, evidencing that stress during recovery can trigger cravings and increase the risk of relapse by reactivating the brain’s stress response system that causes individuals to seek the stimulant effects of substances for managing stress in recovery.
- Interfering With the Physical and Mental Healing Process: The body needs time to heal, and stress can delay that process by compromising the immune system and affecting sleep, both of which are vital to recovery.
- Generate Isolation: Stress, if individuals don’t manage it well, can lead to isolation, preventing interaction with critical support networks, such as friends, family, or support groups.
Strategies for Managing Stress in Recovery
Although it can be challenging, managing stress in recovery in a healthy way is critical to achieving long-term success and sobriety. Social and Behavioral Science research on stress and recovery highlights that individuals who use substances are more likely to experience stressful life events. These studies suggest that stress during recovery may contribute to relapse to substance use.
Here are some strategies that may be helpful in managing stress in recovery:
- Mindfulness Practices: Meditation and mindfulness can reduce stress by helping a person focus on the present moment, reducing rumination and anxious thoughts.
- Regular Physical Exercise: Physical activity not only releases mood-enhancing endorphins but also helps dissipate built-up tension in the body, allowing for a natural way to release stress.
- Connect With a Support Network: Talking with others who understand the recovery process, whether in support groups or with close friends, can reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation while providing a safe space to share experiences and concerns.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This type of therapy can help identify thought patterns and replace them with healthier ones, which is vital when stress seems uncontrollable.
- Set Clear Boundaries: Protecting yourself from situations or people that increase stress is essential. Setting boundaries, learning to say “no” when necessary, and prioritizing self-care are critical to managing stress in recovery.
- Healthy Routines: Creating a daily routine that includes wellness-generating activities, such as getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and setting aside time for rest, is vital to reducing stress and maintaining emotional balance.
Outpatient Program: An Ally to Managing Stress in Recovery
At GateHouse Treatment, we understand that managing stress in recovery can be a challenge, especially when there are so many factors that can trigger feelings of distress, uncertainty, and anxiety, raising your stress levels.
We know that your recovery is the most important thing. Through our Outpatient Program, we are with you every step of the way so that you can reintegrate back into society while protecting your sobriety.
In our OP program, you will receive personalized support through individual sessions with your therapist and case manager and two group sessions each week. We help you maintain balance in critical areas such as work, financial management, and relationships with your family and friends, which, when out of balance, can increase stress and affect your recovery process.
Protect Your Healing Path with GateHouse Treatment
No matter what challenge you’re facing with a substance abuse disorder, GateHouse Treatment is here to support you. We specialize in providing you with the treatments you need to break free from alcohol or drugs. Whether you’re thinking about getting started or are already in recovery, contact us at (855) 448-3588 for professional support or complete our online form. Managing stress in recovery is vital, and you don’t have to do it alone!
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