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Stress and addictions

When it comes to addiction, aside from genetic predisposition, one of the most common factors that is often found to be connected to the disease, is stress.  Most of us are aware of how big an impact stress can have on our lives, it can lead to illness, difficulties in sleeping and poor decision making.  But very few of us actually make the effort to try and prevent stress before it really takes it's toll, and when it comes to addiction this can lead to very severe consequences.

The problem with addiction is that it is not a disease that can be cured, and unfortunately even when people are a relatively long way down the road of recovery, they can still be hit by negative events that can set them back drastically. 

It is for this reason that stress management is so important in rehab, and before if possible.  Having an effective coping strategy can be key in preventing addiction, but in the cases where it does not happen or it fails for some reason, learning how to handle stress and how to overcome difficulties is essential in preventing relapse. 

A recent study using rats found that even after dug administering behaviour had been extinguished (i.e. after treatment), if enough stress was placed on the participants, then they would very quickly revert back to drug use (Moeller, 2012). 

These findings show how important it is for stress to be handled effectively, both during treatment, but more importantly, after treatment, when an individual will be coping independently, and with life pressures to handle.  Only once an individual feels capable of handling the stresses of life will they be able to truly take control of both their life and their addiction.

Moeller, F. G.  (2012).  Sex, stress and drug cues in addiction.  The American Journal of Psychiatry, 169, 351-353.

Published by on 27/06/2020.

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