Addiction and stress management go hand in hand. Knowing when you’re stressed and the healthy ways you can cope with stress could help reduce the chances of addiction and relapse. This knowledge increases the chances of the treatment we offer here at Serenity House Detox & Recovery Houston being successful. To help with your stress management efforts, we’ve highlighted the role stress plays in addiction. To learn more, reach out to Serenity House Detox & Recovery Houston at 866.516.8356.
How Stress Affects Addiction
Stress is how your bodies respond to either a single or multiple ongoing life events or changes. In most cases, exposure to stressful events impact certain brain functions and structures that influence how substances affect you, increasing your susceptibility to addiction in the future. Cumulative stressful situations also play a role in increasing the risks of developing a dependency on drugs or alcohol.
Not only does stress contribute to addiction, but drug addiction also contributes to stress. Some drugs such as cocaine, nicotine, and alcohol activate your brain’s reward pathways and its stress pathways. Addiction further compounds the stress in your life by causing issues such as:
- Financial problems
- Relationship conflict
- Family instability
- Health problems
People going through some of these life issues often use more substances, which increases and worsens stressful situations, forcing them to increase the number of substances they take continuously.
While stress is unavoidable, healthy stress management techniques such as exercise, keeping a balanced diet, and therapy are necessary. Being able to identify the signs of stress allows you to manage it better.
Signs of Stress
Stress is how your body responds to your mind’s perceptions of an excessively demanding environment. This response shows itself in various ways and signs throughout your body. Here are five of the common signs of stress:
Headaches
Stress can trigger different types of headaches, such as tension, headaches, or migraines. Increased stress levels will often lead to more frequent headaches that could get worse over time.
Acne
Acne is the presence of red, painful zits on your face and is one of the most visible signs of stress. High-stress levels could cause a shift in hormonal balance, which ultimately increases acne severity. When people are stressed, they tend to touch their faces more, spreading bacteria and contributing to acne development.
Increased Heart Rate and Chest Pain
When you are stressed, your body releases hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline that lead to an increased heart rate and, in some cases, chest pain. If this happens more frequently, it can take a toll on your heart and cause cardiovascular disease.
Fatigue and Insomnia
Prolonged stress can cause decreased energy levels and chronic fatigue. Stress could also disrupt your sleep patterns, causing insomnia, which further lowers your energy. Also, when your body is overwhelmed by excess stress levels, fatigue makes you more irritable and unable to cope with the stress you’re experiencing mentally.
Changes in Appetite
For some, when they feel stressed, they find themselves with a reduced or lack of appetite. On the other hand, others might find themselves eating more to cope with stressful situations. Prolonged stress and frequent appetite changes could further lead to the loss or gaining of weight.
Recovery at Serenity House Detox & Recovery Houston
If prolonged exposure to stressful situations has led to you developing a substance use disorder, you can get your life back on track with addiction treatment. At Serenity House Detox & Recovery Houston, we employ a holistic approach to addiction recovery.
We provide you with a serene environment, utilizing various treatment therapy options that arm you with the tools you need to cope with stress and achieve lasting recovery. Some of the treatment therapy options we have available are such as:
Call Serenity House Detox & Recovery Center Houston at 866.516.8356 today to learn more about the signs of stress and how you or your loved one can begin the journey to recovery.
