Stress is a normal part of life. However, constantly wrestling with chronic stress in your life is not normal. Unfortunately, many people struggle with chronic stress which can lead to physical and mental health struggles that can make people turn to unhealthy coping strategies, like abusing drugs or alcohol, to cope with their stress. In this article, you’ll learn more about the relationship between chronic stress and substance abuse so you can understand why people may turn to drugs and alcohol to relieve stress.
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What is the Link Between Chronic Stress and Substance Abuse
While stress is normal, struggling with chronic stress is not and can impact your well-being. Below are several ways that highlight the relationship between chronic stress and substance abuse.
- Individuals May Self-Medicate to Relieve Stress
First, many individuals unfortunately self-medicate with drugs or alcohol to relieve their chronic stress. Abusing drugs to cope with your stress can not only lead to life-threatening consequences, but it can quickly lead to drug dependency and addiction. Not to mention, abusing drugs doesn’t address the reason or source of your chronic stress.
- Substance Abuse Does Not Address the Source of Stress
As briefly described above, if you are struggling with chronic stress, it’s important to identify and address that stress, rather than masking it through abusing drugs. If you are unsure what may be causing you chronic stress, consider seeking mental health support by seeking a licensed therapist who can help you become more aware of the areas in your life causing you to feel stressed. There are a variety of areas in your life that may be causing you chronic stress, from unhealthy relationships to work, financial struggles, and more.
- Chronic Stress Can Lead to Worsening Unhealthy Habits
Typically, when you are struggling with chronic stress, this can lead to worsening unhealthy habits. Not only do some people abuse drugs to cope with their stress, but you may struggle in other areas such as a lack of sleep, eating unhealthy, and/or not exercising consistently which are even more ways you are harming your physical and mental well-being.
- Stress Can Make It Easier to Fall for Triggers and Relapse
Likewise, chronic stress can make it easy to fall for triggers or struggle with a lack of judgment. For example, even if you know abusing drugs to cope with stress is bad, you may find yourself abusing drugs anyway despite knowing the consequences because your mind is vulnerable due to the amount of stress it’s dealing with.
- Addressing Both Your Addiction and Mental Health In Recovery Is Essential
Ultimately, if you are struggling with both addiction and mental health struggles, like chronic stress, it’s important to seek treatment for both conditions. Otherwise, getting sober but not addressing the source(s) of your chronic stress will make you extremely vulnerable to relapsing. Therefore, it’s critical to understand what areas of your life are causing you stress so you can address them and effectively overcome addiction.
Top-Rated Drug Rehab in South Carolina
Now you know more about the relationship between chronic stress and substance abuse. Unfortunately, many people turn to drugs or alcohol to relieve their stress. Although drugs and alcohol may appear to temporarily relieve your stress, long-term drug abuse will inevitably lead to drug dependency and addiction, without addressing the root cause of your chronic stress. If you are struggling with addiction and/or a mental health condition, it’s essential you seek professional support so you can lead a healthier life.
At Hammocks on the Edisto, we provide a comprehensive range of addiction and mental health treatment options to ensure you receive the tailored care you need to break free of addiction. We understand that each person’s road to recovery is uniquely different. That’s why our team of compassionate addiction specialists and mental health professionals is here to help you safely take back control of your health. Ready to start your recovery journey? Contact us today!
