The tight connection between anxiety and alcohol is one that many millions of people have experienced throughout the years. Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health issues in the nation. Similarly, alcohol is legal and widely obtainable making it a substance that can be easily abused. When the two issues collide, anxiety disorders and alcohol abuse, individuals can find themselves in dire straits. Sadly, this problem can become very hard to overcome and may take over a person’s life, making it hard for them to regain sobriety. Thankfully, the benefits of a high-quality rehab program can help to minimize this danger and help a person recover in many different ways. For men’s mental health and addiction treatment, contact our dual diagnosis treatment center today.
The Connection Between Anxiety and Alcohol
A study by the National Institute of Health has found that anxiety and alcohol are often not far from each other in many people’s lives. There are a few reasons for this problem. First of all, stress is often a troubling emotional situation that requires the approach of high-quality treatment experts to assess and manage. Unfortunately, many people may ignore this help and drink alcohol instead.
Why? Alcohol depresses the body’s physical and mental reactions to the world around them. As a result, a person may use alcohol to calm their anxiety. However, this abuse can quickly spiral into an addiction when a person becomes dependent on alcohol. And the social acceptability of alcohol consumption may also tie into those who have social anxiety problems.
Social Anxiety May Also Cause Problems
Social anxiety and alcohol are also profoundly connected and can be very hard to overcome. That’s because many people with this type of fear find that alcohol provides comfort that they may not think that they can get in any other way. A typical addiction pattern for people with social anxiety often follow these steps:
- Alcohol abuse calms a person’s nerves in a social situation
- People accept them even if their alcohol use was somewhat embarrassing
- Continued social interaction in an alcohol-rich environment reinforces this lesson
- More substantial alcohol abuse convinces a person that they must drink in social situations
- Physical and emotional addiction become much harder to understand and manage
All of these issues can easily trigger if a person doesn’t get professional help for their social anxiety. For example, various types of medication and even behavioral adjustments can calm their nerves and make social situations more comfortable. Unfortunately, they may become addicted to alcohol and need high-quality clinical rehab.
Why Rehab is Essential
If anxiety is allowed to fester, many individuals turn to self-medicating with substances like alcohol to alleviate their distress. This puts them at a higher risk of developing a dependency or addiction to alcohol. Without treatment, individuals run the risk of starting a vicious cycle of addiction that can only be treated through professional rehabilitation. Rehab can help break the connection between anxiety and alcohol by:
- Guiding you through a depression treatment program
- Helping you understand where your stress starts
- Showing you how alcohol worsens your anxiety
- Teaching you coping mechanisms for these issues
And don’t forget: rehab can also provide you withdrawal treatment that helps to decrease your level of pain while you go through therapy.
Don’t Neglect Expert Help
If anxiety and alcohol have adversely affected your life, please reach out to us at Red Oak Recovery® to get the help you need. We are a clinically-focused care center that provides what we call a true hybrid Program. With this type of care, you can get treatment in a psychiatric and clinical setting and also venture out into the wilderness with our adventure program. Furthermore, we also offer a dual diagnosis treatment program and other similar care for those who need it. To get started, please verify your insurance.
