Anxiety disorders are a common type of mental illness that affects nearly 20 percent of Americans. Anxiety disorder often exhibits unfounded fears that cause abnormal reactions to typical situations. Anxiety and addiction form a vicious cycle, making anxiety worse. Likewise, anxiety can also fuel addiction as a form of self-medication.
The symptoms of anxiety and addiction can be psychological and physical. They can affect all areas of your life, including your health, family, job, and social life. If you suffer from substance or anxiety disorder, you may want to seek group therapy in Palm Springs, CA. An addiction treatment center offers the support and care you need to manage your condition.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
Addiction and anxiety are different in each person and can manifest itself in various ways. For instance, you may feel a wide range of emotions such as panic, fear, dread, or isolation. Different types of anxiety disorders include:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder is a form of anxiety that never seems to go away. You feel anxious all of the time in various situations, even when there is no reason to feel that way. You feel anxious and don’t know why.
Social Anxiety Disorder
You feel uneasy interacting with other people. If you’re in a crowded place or a social event, you may need to withdraw, or have a panic attack. Social anxiety disorder can cause you to want to stay home and never go out.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
You may have experienced a traumatic event as a child or an adult. As a result, you have aa post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The symptoms of PTSD can last for several years. However, you may not realize you have it, because they develop slowly.
Panic Disorder
If you feel an overwhelming sense of fear or anxiety that you cannot control, you may have panic disorder. Panic disorder can cause hysteria, insomnia, anger, irritability, or paranoia.
Anxiety and Addiction: Self-Medication
If you have an anxiety disorder, you may not be equipped to deal with it properly – few people are. As a result, you may turn to alcohol or drugs to self-medicate. If you are taking prescription medication for your anxiety, you may form a dependency on the medication.
Self-medication is how addiction and anxiety form. For instance, you may first start to drink to relax when you feel anxious. Eventually, this turns into a pattern and then an addiction. You become dependent on alcohol to calm down. Ultimately, you can’t function without it.
However, you may discover that drugs and alcohol only make your anxiety worse. Furthermore, they affect your physical health and overall mental state. You may also suffer from depression or some other type of mental disorder in addition to anxiety. However, treatment is available for anxiety and addiction.
Treatment for Anxiety and Addiction
If you have anxiety and addiction, you can get the help you need at an addiction treatment center. Group therapy in Palm Springs, CA, is a form of treatment that helps you connect to a support group. Treatment centers also provide individual counseling, detox, and long-term care so that you can learn how to manage anxiety.
Phoenix Rising offers comprehensive detox, rehab, and aftercare for anxiety and addiction. We can guide you through every stage of recovery until you get back on your feet again. To find out more about our addiction treatment center, contact us online or call us today at 855.232.8211. We are here to help you get on the road to recovery.
