The 12 Palms rehab blog publishes weekly addiction related articles directed to help and guide families and addicts on the addiction treatment and recovery.
Anxiety is something that most people experience before something significant occurs in their life – this could be sitting a test or making a public speech. Occasional anxiety is not a big deal, and can even motivate some to perform better. For others, anxiety becomes a far more destructive force in their life, and can be made worse by alcohol and drugs. In some instances the symptoms of anxiety will be what drove the individual to substance abuse in the first place, but it is also possible for the individual to develop anxiety problems as a result of their alcohol or drug intake.
People who suffer from anxiety are three times more likely to turn to substance abuse than those who do not have such symptoms. Anxiety is a feeling of fear and concern. It can also be described as a state of uneasiness and apprehension about future uncertainties. It is normal for people to experience a bit of anxiety from time to time, but for some people such feelings can cause a disruption in their life
An individual with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), becomes excessively worried about things that could go wrong. They become overly concerned about everyday events, and things can become so bad that they struggle to cope. Some may also develop panic disorder. These involve sudden attacks of intense fear that make it impossible for the individual to function.
Anxiety can interfere with the ability of an individual to enjoy life. They can be tempted to turn to alcohol or drugs to temporarily ease the symptoms of anxiety. This is known as self-medicating. However, self-medicating disguises the reality that substance abuse is the worst solution in the world for anxiety.
It isn’t long before regular consumption of alcohol begins to cause problems in the life of the individual. They will respond to this by using more to deal with their increased anxiety. The more the individual uses, the more their life will deteriorate. They get caught in a vicious cycle of using to escape the anxiety, and create more things to feel anxious about.
At 12 Palms Recovery Center, we understand how crippling anxiety and panic disorders can be, and how easy it is to turn to alcohol or drugs to self-medicate. If you or someone you love suffers from anxiety or panic disorder and has turned to alcohol or drugs to cope, we can help. Our compassionate staff members are recovering alcoholics and addicts themselves, and fully understand that the process of recovery can appear to be frightening, especially when emotional disorders are co-occurring as well.
At 12 Palms, both the addiction and the factors that led to it are addressed for an effective, individualized addiction treatment plan – and greater chances of an enduring recovery. Understanding all of the factors that led to an addiction is an important part of the overall recovery process. Let us help you or your loved one get your life back.
“If someone wants to get sober, this is a wonderful place to do it...12 Palms saved my life.”
— Fred
“When an addict is finally willing to admit that they are completely powerless over their addiction and need help recovering, they are left with a choice.”
