It probably is not a surprise that substance use disorders and mental health disorders often go hand in hand. In fact, they can be so entangled that it can be difficult to determine which arose first. Did you start using drugs or alcohol as a way to self-medicate against the symptoms of a mental health disorder? Or has your mental health been negatively affected by your substance use? The odds are pretty good that a combination of those things is in play.
In this particular blog entry, we want to focus on anxiety, a common mental health disorder that can put your sobriety at risk if not effectively addressed. Throughout this conversation, we will provide links to previous entries in this blog that provide additional helpful information.
First Things First: Symptoms of Anxiety
In this previous blog entry, we provided a range of facts about anxiety—including information about the various kinds of anxiety disorders that a person might struggle with. We also detailed how the part of your brain known as the amygdala can be involved with anxiety and substance use disorders.
In that entry, we also provided a list of anxiety symptoms. We share them again here because some of them—like agitation and irritability—might not seem like anxiety when you are experiencing them. Having a good sense of the various ways anxiety might appear can be helpful. Potential symptoms of anxiety include:
- Agitation and irritability
- Intense worry that you cannot control
- Shaking, sweating, or increased heart rate, indicating a panic attack
- Period of hyperactivity and/or extreme bouts of fatigue
- Withdrawal from social obligations to avoid feelings of awkwardness
- Muscle tension that cannot be linked to recent physical activity
- Constant feelings of restlessness
- An increased tendency to wake up in the middle of the night or general insomnia
- Managing anxious feelings by relying on alcohol, prescription drugs, or illicit drugs
Next Up: Lifestyle Choices to Help Manage Anxiety
There are several lifestyle choices you can make that can help you manage anxiety effectively—including committing to healthful eating, restful sleep, and regular exercise. Good nutrition, sufficient rest, and an active approach to life support your physical health and your mental health. As your overall well-being improves, you might find you are experiencing less anxiety and/or managing the symptoms more effectively.
We provided more details about these and other lifestyle choices that can help you deal with anxiety in this blog entry.
In Case of Emergency: A Quick Way to Address Anxious Feelings
Even when you are aware of the symptoms and making good choices to better manage your anxiety, sometimes those feelings can sneak up on you. When that happens, the sense of anxiety or panic can be quite strong. In that situation, having a strategy for reclaiming some calmness can be extremely helpful.
In this entry, we introduced a countdown technique that involves engaging each of your senses in turn. You can find full details in that blog post, but the technique is easy to describe simply and quickly: You start by naming five things you can see and then continue with four sounds you can hear, three objects you can feel, two scents you can smell, and one thing you can taste. A deliberate and steady pace through the exercise can help you slow things down—and you can repeat the exercise whenever it might be helpful.
Another potentially helpful technique for managing moments of intense anxiety is known as “box breathing.” You can learn the technique here.
Nighttime Worries: Anxiety Can Pop Up in the Evening
For some people, anxiety really seems to ratchet up in the evening. In this blog post, we explored that phenomenon with the help of this article from The New York Times. Here’s the key quote from the NYT piece:
“Anxiety can surface at any time, but there are a few reasons it may feel more intense at bedtime,” said Candice Alfano, director of the Sleep and Anxiety Center of Houston at the University of Houston. “Most of us are incredibly busy during the waking hours; our attention is pulled in many different directions, so we have limited time to think about our worries,” she said. “But at night, while we lie in bed, there are few distractions from the thoughts that make us anxious.”
Developing a regular nighttime routine can help address evening anxiety, and you can find tips for doing so in that previous entry.
Rounding Up the Links
Here are the four previous blog posts referenced in this entry:
- Answers About Anxiety – Understanding the Connection Between Substance Use and Anxiety Disorders
- Tips for Managing Depression and Anxiety with Lifestyle Changes
- Count on This Countdown Technique to Manage Anxiety
- Avoid Allowing Evening Anxiety to Upset Your Sobriety
Set Your Worries Aside and Get the Help You Need
At Bel Aire Recovery Center—located near Wichita, Kansas—we help individuals reclaim and maintain their sobriety. We also treat co-occurring mental health disorders—including anxiety disorders—so that you are better positioned to stay sober over time. When you are ready to make a life-changing transformation, we are ready to help you reach your goals.
