Anxiety Disorder and Substance Abuse

Anxiety disorders and substance abuse are two conditions which are very damaging to the human mind and body by themselves. Thus a combination of the two can be very devastating for a person.

In spite of this there are a lot of anxiety sufferers which try to heal their condition by consuming alcohol and even drugs. There is also the reversed situation, in which drug or alcohol addicted people develop anxiety disorders because of the substance abuse. In both situations, substance abuse and anxiety disorders should be treated simultaneously in order to get the patient healthy again.

A vicious chain

The inter-relation between substance abuse and anxiety is very strong. As mentioned previously there are two situations in which a person may suffer from both conditions. The first one is that in which an anxiety sufferer is trying to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety by drinking a glass of alcohol or by smoking a joint. They enjoy the sensations they get and they want more, but in time, the quantity of alcohol or drugs needed to recreate those sensations increases, until the person becomes addicted to it.

The worse thing is that with the increasing of substance abuse the anxiety symptoms become more acute and more difficult to live with. In these severe cases people usually turn to specialized help.

The other way round is also possible, as many people who are addicted to drugs, alcohol or both, develop anxiety disorders. This is mainly due to the fact that drugs, alcohol, pain-relieving medication or even caffeine can affect the normal function of the brain. Thus, symptoms like nervousness, constant worry, the feeling of a disaster happening, panic attacks, insomnia, memory problems, difficulty in breathing, fast rate heart, vomiting or diarrhea are likely to appear when consuming drugs or alcohol.

These symptoms come up when consuming drugs and alcohol and last several days or even weeks after the substance intake. That is why people take refuge in substance abuse hoping that they will be relieved of all the suffering.

A Complete Treatment

In order to totally cure the patient, both substance abuse and anxiety disorders should be treated together, by a professional team. Because each of these conditions needs special care, the patients will have to be watched closely by medical staff.

The best way of overcoming substance abuse and anxiety disorder is by cognitive-behavioral therapy. This type of treatment will encourage patients to discover what deeper problems are hidden by substance abuse. The therapy may also be accompanied by medication. Antidepressants and anti-anxiety treatment may be used to treat these conditions. However, it is recommended to use medication as little as possible because it can be addictive and you would not like to replace a substance abuse with the other.

Patients may also be encouraged to attend support groups and talk about their problems with a counselor. This complex approach will, in the end, lead to a complete healing of both anxiety disorders and substance abuse.