Many factors can increase the likelihood of a person developing an addiction. They may have suffered childhood trauma, there may be a history of addiction in their family, poor mental health might drive a person to develop unhealthy coping mechanisms or it could be the result of bad life events such as divorce or the death of a loved one.
One factor that’s often overlooked when it comes to addiction however is stress. In today’s society, we perceive stress to be no big deal and even a normal part of everyday life. With it taking a huge toll on our mental health however, stress can in fact increase our vulnerability to addiction.
What exactly is stress?
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 and long or short-term.
You may for example be feeling a bit anxious about starting a new school, moving house, changing jobs or getting everything done in time for your wedding day. These stresses tend to be short-lived and don’t cause us too much upset.
More serious and long-term stresses can include having a baby, bereavement, divorce, illness or suffering PTSD from being in an accident. The reason why this becomes a problem is because of the impact stress has on our mind and body. Our heart rate accelerates, blood pressure spikes, body temperature and respiration rates increase, we lose focus, relationships can suffer and our sleep and eating patterns can be greatly affected.
How can stress make us more vulnerable to addiction?
It’s natural that we all handle stress differently and some of us might deal with it better than others. For those who struggle to cope, they may resort to dangerous mechanisms such as abusing drugs, alcohol or sex.
A report carried out by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) found that people who are exposed to stress are more likely to use mind-altering substances. It’s also known that stress is one of the most powerful triggers for relapse in addicted individuals – even after long periods of abstinence and addiction counselling.
The reason behind this is because stress leads to an increase in the brain’s levels of the peptide, corticotropin releasing factor (CRF). Elevated CRF levels trigger a cascade of biological responses which may impair our ability to cope with difficult life events.
The report also showed that those subjected to chronic stress or PTSD, often have hormonal responses which are not properly regulated and don’t return to normal even when the stress is over. This in turn, makes these individuals more prone to stress-related illnesses which may make them more likely to turn to substance abuse or suffer a relapse.
The importance of seeking addiction treatment in Toronto
Therapy plays a huge role in overcoming addiction. Without it, you’re bound to fall back into bad habits as the underlying cause and coping mechanisms won’t have been identified.
We now also know that stress can make someone more likely to relapse. Below are just a few examples of why it’s so important to seek out addiction treatment in Toronto if this is something you struggle with:
- Research has shown that exposure to personal stress situations leads to consistent and significant cravings for cocaine among drug-free cocaine abusers in therapy.
- High rates of PTSD and substance use disorders were first reported in war-related studies where it was found that as many as 75% of combat veterans with lifetime PTSD met the criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence.
- Addiction therapy in Toronto can help you to develop helpful coping mechanisms so you can deal with stress better. The quicker you can eliminate stress, the less likely you are to turn to drug or alcohol abuse.
If you would like more information about addiction therapy in Toronto or would like to speak to an addiction counsellor in Toronto, please feel free to contact us in the strictest of confidence and we will be more than happy to help.
