Key Takeaways
- Substance abuse disorders and co-occurring substance use are common in individuals with anxiety, especially when co-occurring anxiety disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are present.
- Mental health treatment and professional treatment play a crucial role in managing anxiety and addiction, ensuring that both conditions are addressed effectively.
- Support groups, coping skills, coping strategies, and learning healthier coping mechanisms are also essential tools for preventing relapse and supporting long-term recovery with anxiety and addiction.
- Dual diagnosis treatment is the best and most effective way to address anxiety and substance misuse, as it addresses individual therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and several medications, including prescription medication.
- The Lakes Treatment Center offers a dual diagnosis program addressing anxiety and addiction at the same time.
When it comes to addiction, it is not uncommon for individuals to have co-occurring disorders, such as a mental health disorder, like anxiety. Epidemiological studies show that the lifetime prevalence of anxiety and addiction co-occurring in the general population is significant, highlighting the widespread impact of these mental health conditions. Co-occurring disorders happen when an individual is suffering from more than one disorder, making their recovery that much more unique.
Common risk factors, such as genetics, trauma, and environmental influences, often contribute to the co-occurrence of these mental health conditions. The good news is that dual diagnosis treatment can help address co-occurring disorders, treating both disorders at once and getting down to the root of the problem.
In this article, we will be discussing the connection between anxiety and addiction and why these disorders commonly overlap. We will also discuss the benefits of dual diagnosis treatment and how it can improve your chances of long-term mental health and addiction recovery, especially when dealing with the complexity of comorbid disorders that require specialized treatment approaches.
Types of Anxiety Disorders Associated With Addiction
It is important to understand the distinction between stress and diagnosed anxiety disorders. Everyone experiences some level of stress and anxiety depending on the circumstances, but an actual anxiety disorder is clinically diagnosed. Anxiety disorders are mental health conditions characterized by excessive fear, persistent worry, and anxiety that significantly impact daily functioning.
Here are the most common anxiety disorders commonly linked to addiction:
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Social anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia)
- Panic disorder (characterized by panic attacks)
If you believe that you have an anxiety disorder, you should discuss this with a mental health professional to get a clinical diagnosis. Unlike normal day-to-day stress and anxiety, an anxiety disorder causes persistent and excessive amounts of worry and anxiety that don’t go away on their own.
Other symptoms that could indicate that you have an anxiety disorder include:
- Persistent worry
- Physical symptoms (rapid heartbeat, muscle tension, breathing difficulties, fatigue, sleep disturbances)
- Psychological symptoms (restlessness, feeling on edge, difficulty concentrating, irritability)
- Avoidant behaviors
What Came First: the Anxiety or the Addiction?
There are many types of addictions and mental health disorders that can overlap, creating co-occurring disorders. But anxiety and addiction are two of the most common types of co-occurring disorders, and for a variety of reasons.
Some people are more likely to develop a mental health condition or addiction due to things like genetics, upbringing, lifestyle factors, and others. A family history of anxiety or mood disorder can be a significant risk factor, increasing vulnerability to developing these conditions. Chronic stress while growing up can be another important risk factor, as it can contribute to the development of co-occurring anxiety and addiction.
As you can see, there can be multiple reasons why you may develop either a mental health disorder or addiction, which is why it is important to find out when and why the issue started.
Addiction Leading to Anxiety
Some individuals who struggle with addiction or substance use are more likely to develop an anxiety disorder later on. That’s because substance use, including alcohol use disorder and drug abuse, can exacerbate anxiety disorders. Both substance use disorder and alcohol dependence are closely linked to anxiety disorders.
Those who are addicted may also develop an anxiety disorder due to withdrawal or post-acute withdrawal syndrome. Withdrawal symptoms, such as agitation, insomnia, and mood swings, can induce anxiety or even trigger panic attacks, which also have the potential to lead to a clinical anxiety disorder.
In some cases, resolving the addiction may naturally help to resolve the anxiety disorder. But that isn’t always the case, as you may still require treatment for the anxiety depending on how extensive it has become.
Anxiety Leading to Addiction
It is also very common for an anxiety disorder to come first, leading to the development of an addiction disorder. Individuals may turn to substance misuse or substance abuse to alleviate anxiety symptoms. This is often the result of individuals trying to self-medicate through the use of substances, such as drugs or alcohol. They may even turn to addictive behaviors, such as gambling, as a way of escaping.
While these things may provide temporary relief from anxiety, they often lead to increased anxiety symptoms, creating a vicious cycle of anxiety and substance misuse.
In cases where anxiety leads to addiction, dual diagnosis treatment is usually required as a way of addressing both individual disorders.
The Benefits of Dual Diagnosis Treatment For Co-Occurring Disorders
Now that you know why anxiety and addiction often occur together, why should you join a dual diagnosis treatment program? Although it is possible to treat both disorders individually, dual diagnosis treatment is the better option. That’s because integrated treatment and personalized treatment plans are essential for addressing co-occurring disorders, as they combine multiple therapeutic modalities and tailor interventions to each individual’s needs.
Here are some of the main benefits of getting dual diagnosis treatment (rather than substance abuse treatment only) so that you can start your anxiety and addiction recovery journey.
Combined Treatment
Dual diagnosis programs are specifically designed to address common co-occurring disorders in a single program. They are created to address the unique relationship between behavioral health and mental health disorders and how they affect each individual.
In the majority of co-occurring disorder cases, having two disorders at once makes recovery that much more difficult since it is more complex. Dual diagnosis takes a whole-person approach, addressing the root cause of the disorders, the individual triggers, and their specific recovery needs.
Instead of working with individual mental health and addiction professionals, dual diagnosis takes a collaborative approach so that treatment is simplified. This also means that you will not have to join multiple programs, as everything will be included in your dual diagnosis treatment program.
More Accessible
Depending on your individual living situation, finances, and location, finding treatment for anxiety and addiction may be challenging. Dual diagnosis treatment programs offer more accessibility since you will only need to attend one program to treat all of your co-occurring disorders. They are especially important during early recovery, when support and intervention are most needed.
You can easily find dual diagnosis programs that are short-term or long-term, depending on your recovery needs and individual resources.
Supportive Community
Co-occurring disorders are unique, which can make the recovery process feel more isolating if you don’t have a supportive community backing you. Dual diagnosis treatment provides an empathetic atmosphere and community that understands these unique challenges and provides actionable solutions.
When you join a dual diagnosis program, you will be surrounded by mental health and addiction professionals who have extensive experience with co-occurring disorders. These mental health professionals play a crucial role in providing evidence-based, individualized care for co-occurring mental health conditions.
Get Dual Diagnosis Treatment Help at The Lakes Treatment Center
Dealing with one disorder is hard enough all on its own, and it is that much harder when you have co-occurring disorders. However, co-occurring disorders are quite common, and there are many treatment options available to help you take back charge of your life and achieve long-term recovery.
At The Lakes Treatment Center, our dual diagnosis program allows you to address all of your co-occurring disorders at one time. We provide dual diagnosis treatment for all of the most common co-occurring disorders, such as anxiety and addiction, as well as aftercare resources.
Are you ready to join a dual diagnosis treatment program to treat both anxiety disorders and addiction? Contact us today at The Lakes Treatment Center to learn more about the types of co-occurring disorders we treat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does it mean to have co-occurring anxiety and addiction?
Co-occurring disorders happen when someone experiences both an anxiety disorder and a substance use disorder at the same time. These conditions interact and worsen each other, requiring treatment that addresses both together rather than separately.
Q: How are anxiety disorders linked to substance abuse
Anxiety can lead individuals to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol, while substance use and withdrawal can increase or trigger anxiety symptoms. This creates a cycle that often requires dual diagnosis treatment to break.
Q: Can addiction cause anxiety disorders?
Yes. Substance use, withdrawal, and long-term chemical changes in the brain can trigger anxiety or panic disorders. Even after addiction is treated, some people need targeted anxiety treatment to fully recover.
Q: Can anxiety lead to addiction?
Many people with anxiety misuse substances to cope with symptoms like worry, panic, or physical tension. This temporary relief can lead to dependence, making integrated treatment essential for lasting recovery.
Q: Why is dual diagnosis treatment necessary?
Dual diagnosis programs treat both the mental health condition and the addiction at the same time, using therapy, medication, and behavioral interventions. This approach leads to better long-term outcomes than treating each disorder separately.
Q: What are the benefits of a dual diagnosis program?
Benefits include coordinated care from mental health and addiction specialists, personalized treatment plans, easier access to services, and a supportive community of professionals and peers who understand co-occurring disorders.
