Understanding Anxiety Disorders and How it Affects Your Addiction
Anxiety is something everyone experiences. It is the feeling you get before giving a big presentation or before going out on a first date. While it can be a good way to get an adrenaline rush or to stay focused in the moment, it is not a great way to live twenty four seven.
Having an anxiety disorder is like having this twisting, terrifying feeling—but having it all the time to a point where it doesn’t ever feel like it goes away. It is important to understand this disorder and to know its inner workings.
There are several ways to lessen the problems that anxiety causes, but one way that is sure to make anxiety disorders even worse is becoming addicted to substances. If you are looking to stop the problems anxiety can cause, you must understand anxiety disorder and learn the ways addiction can affect it.
What is an Anxiety Disorder?
Substance abuse often worsens an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety is something most people have experienced at one time or another. It feels as though you are constantly afraid, all the time. As described by the National Institute of Mental Health, people with anxiety disorders can get anxiety at random times, for little to no reason at all.
Oftentimes, people with anxiety can have a social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or specific phobias that can make their anxiety even worse. Anxiety can be seen through several kinds of symptoms.
As described by Einstein Healthcare Network, some of these symptoms include, hyperventilation, headaches, trembling, muscle tension, and fatigue. Most people can get help with their anxiety through counseling and medication, but, sometimes, people that suffer with anxiety can think turning to stronger substances can help lessen their suffering. However, substances abuse usually makes anxiety worse not better.
How can Addiction Make Anxiety Worse?
When people have anxiety, getting rid of it tends to be a top priority. It is not a fun experience to have anxiety disorder, and wanting to lessen the symptoms is something nearly everyone with the disorder attempts to do.
Unfortunately, this can lead to people with anxiety disorder turning to drugs and addictive substances in order to feel better. What’s even worse is, usually, these addiction do little to actually help the person, as they are known to make anxiety even worse.
It then becomes a vicious cycle of increased anxiety leading to increased substance abuse which then leads to even more increased anxiety. Before the person realizes it, they are addicted and now have a drug problem along with their disorder.
It is important to make sure people with anxiety disorders know the affect drugs can have on them so they don’t fall into this cycle.
If you or a loved one is suffering from both an addiction and an anxiety disorder don’t hesitate it call a substance abuse call line. Call 888-647-0051 (Who Answers?) to talk to a professional that can help you deal with your anxiety and addiction.
You don’t need to let anxiety or addiction control your life when there is counseling and medication out there to help you. Allow yourself to be in charge of your life. Don’t let disorders and addiction rule you.
