How Stress Can Lead to Drug Abuse

Although drug abuse can stem from many different sources and reasons, stress is a common factor that contributes to the problem. Understanding the impact of stress on the mind and body can help improve the awareness of how it contributes to substance abuse and addiction.

Basics of Stress

Before it is possible to understand how it impacts substance abuse, it is important to know what stress is and how it impacts the body. Although stress can relate to good and bad events in life, it is often associated with the negative problems. The reason is that stress that comes from good events, such as a marriage, is often overlooked in the excitement and cheer associated with the event itself.

In many cases, stress is defined as the physical and mental response to danger or challenges. It is the emotional feeling that comes with the situation and is often noticed when negative events occur. The physical release of the stress hormone, cortisol, is the factor that contributes to concerns about mental, emotional and physical well-being.

The release of cortisol into the body is the response to danger, challenges or similar stimulus. In modern society, that release of chemicals is not always the appropriate way to handle the situation. The reason is that stress can come from a wide range of sources and many are not dangerous or life-threatening. When stress becomes a regular problem and measures are not taken to reduce the hormone levels in the body, it can lead to poor behaviors in an effort to cope with the physical and mental response.

Drug Seeking Behavior

The impact of stress on individuals can vary and cause different reactions. Regardless of the individual, chronic stress and high levels of the hormone will result in seeking a way to reduce the negative experience. Efforts to reduce stress can lead to drug seeking behavior when the problem becomes overwhelming and it seems that nothing else is working.

When drug abuse does not seem to have any obvious link to psychological health, physical problems or traumatic experiences, it often has other factors involved. One potential cause of substance abuse is a high-stress situation.

The effort to reduce stress by taking drugs is a common reason that substance abuse begins. The stress leads to seeking a way to reduce the negative feelings and drugs become a coping mechanism. Instead of facing the stress and finding a healthy way to deal with the situation, the drug is taken in an effort to relax and calm the mind. The substance abuse is a form of self-medication to relieve the overwhelmed feelings and reduce the impact of hormonal responses.

Fighting Substance Abuse by Reducing Stress

When stress is the primary cause or a contributing factor of substance abuse, Best Drug Rehabilitation and the professionals working in the facilities take measures to help fight the problem by reducing the stress hormones. High stress situations are a natural part of life and it is not possible to completely avoid stress. As a result, the focus of treatment is reducing the emotional and physical response to stress by finding healthier coping measures and methods that help reduce the hormones in the body.

Learning Coping Methods

The goal of treatment is finding the best strategies to fight all of the causes, including stress. A simple way to reduce the reaction to uncomfortable, dangerous or complicated situations is to incorporate healthier coping measures. By providing treatment that includes meditation, exercise, breathing techniques and hobbies, it is possible to find the coping methods that work and those that are ineffective for the individual.

A high stress lifestyle can contribute to substance abuse, so learning new coping methods can help improve the ability to fight drug addiction and reduce the risk of a relapse in the future. While it is not possible to completely eliminate the problems, it is possible to control the coping measure and find helpful solutions that make it possible to avoid drugs in the future.

Substance abuse is a problem that has many potential causes. By seeking help from Best Drug Rehabilitation and finding healthier ways to handle negative emotions, it is possible to fight the addiction and live a drug-free lifestyle. Focusing on the causes and the individual is the key to successfully giving up drugs.