Everyone copes with stress in different ways, and some may resort to maladaptive measures of managing stress, which may include abusing drugs.
Stress is the body’s response to outside events or changes, and it may be the result of a single event or an ongoing issue. These events or changes can be good or bad, such as starting a new school, getting married, having a baby, an illness, the death of a loved one, moving, divorce, or getting into an accident. The National Institute of Mental Health(NIMH) reports that there are three main types of stress: routine stress from everyday events, stress resulting from a sudden negative change, or stress as the result of a traumatic event.
Addiction and Stress
Central nervous system depressant drugs, such as opioids (prescription painkillers and heroin) and benzodiazepines (prescription sleep aids, anti-anxiety medications, sedatives, and tranquilizers), slow down heart and respiration rate, body temperature, and blood pressure, enhancing relaxation and sedation.
Individuals suffering from high levels of tension, or chronic stress, may use these drugs as a method of managing these symptoms. Individuals who may have difficulties managing stress, poor coping mechanisms, and an inability to control impulses may be at a heightened risk to then use drugs as a result. Drugs can provide an escape from reality while intoxicated and serve to mitigate stress, albeit temporarily.
Similar parts of the brain may be involved in why some people may be more prone to drug abuse and addiction, and to high levels of st as well. Stress initiates the release of the “stress hormone,” called cortisol, in the brain. According to information published in the journal Psychology Today, cortisol can damage healthy brain structure, connectivity, and function in the case of chronic stress. Regions of the brain related to memory and learning, some of the same parts impacted by drug abuse and addiction, are negatively affected with continual levels of high stress and the presence of cortisol.
How Addiction Is Used to Deal With Stress
Addiction often appears to be an attempt to deal with stress in a way that doesn’t quite work out for the individual. While you may get some temporary relief from stress through the drug or behavior you become addicted to, that relief is short-lived, so you need more in order to continue coping with stress. And because many addictions bring with them further stress, such as the withdrawal symptoms experienced when a drug wears off, yet more of the addictive substance or behavior is needed to cope with the additional stress involved.
From this perspective, it is clear that some people are more vulnerable to addictions than others, simply by the amount of stress in their lives. For example, there is now a well-established link between childhood abuse, whether physical, emotional or sexual abuse and later development of addictions to drugs and behaviors. Childhood abuse is extremely stressful for the child but continues to cause problems as that child matures into an adult, with consequential problems with relationships and self-esteem. Not everyone who was abused as a child develops an addiction, and not everyone with addiction was abused in childhood.
Stress Management
Stress can be effectively managed in many different ways. The best stress management plans usually include a mix of stress relievers that address stress physically and psychologically and help to develop resilience and coping skills.
Use Quick Stress Relievers
Some stress relief techniques can work in just a few minutes to calm the body’s stress response. These techniques offer a “quick fix” that helps you feel calmer at the moment, and this can help in several ways.
When your stress response is not triggered, you may approach problems more thoughtfully and proactively. You may be less likely to lash out at others out of frustration, which can keep your relationships healthier. Nipping your stress response in the bud can also keep you from experiencing chronic stress.
Quick stress relievers like breathing exercises, for example, may not build your resilience to future stress or minimize the stressors that you face. But they can help calm the body’s physiology once the stress response is triggered.
Develop Stress-Relieving Habits
Some techniques are less convenient to use when you are in the middle of a stressful situation. But if you practice them regularly, they can help you manage stress in general by being less reactive to it and more able to reverse your stress response quickly and easily.
Long-term healthy habits like, self-care, exercise or regular meditation, can help to promote resilience toward stressors if you make them a regular part of your life. Communication skills and other lifestyle skills can be helpful in managing stressors and changing how we feel from “overwhelmed” to “challenged” or even “stimulated.”
Eliminate Stressors When You Can
You may not be able to completely eliminate stress from your life or even the biggest stressors, but there are areas where you can minimize it and get it to a manageable level.
Any stress that you can cut out can minimize your overall stress load. For example, ending even one toxic relationship can help you more effectively deal with other stress you experience because you may feel less overwhelmed.
How Can I Tell When I’m Too Stressed?
Stress affects us all in different ways, not all of which are negative. In fact, the stress of an exciting life can actually serve as a good motivator and keep things interesting. When stress levels get too intense, however, there are some stress symptoms that many people experience.
For example, headaches, irritability, and “fuzzy thinking” can all be symptoms that you’re under too much stress. While not everybody who’s under stress will experience these specific symptoms, many will.
If you find that you don’t realize how stressed you are until you are overwhelmed, it’s important to learn to notice your body’s subtle cues and your own behavior, almost like an outside observer might. To notice how your body is reacting to stress, you can try this body scan meditation (it helps relax at the same time).
Is There a Way to Be Less Affected by Stress?
By practicing regular stress management techniques, you can eliminate some of the stress you feel and make yourself more resilient in the face of stress in the future. There are several things you can try, ranging from a morning walk to an evening journaling practice to just making more time for friends. The trick is to find something that fits with your lifestyle and personality, so it’s easier to stick with.
