It’s
common for people to use alcohol to help them cope with stresses in
life. Alcohol drinking can lead to a short-term state of euphoria with
feelings of happiness and relaxation. However, when stress is constant
and you continue to drink alcohol to deal with life’s troubles, problem
drinking is likely to arise. Heavy drinking will start to work against
you and put you at higher risk for negative long-term effects on your
body, including a host of medical and psychological problems, as well as
increasing your risk for alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence.Types of Stress
Life Stress
Marriage,
divorce, moving, and career change are all examples of basic life
stressors. Also, death of a friend or family member, problems at home
or work, or diagnosis of an illness can be categorized as sources of
life stress as well. Life stress often results in untreated depression
and anxiety. Something to keep in mind, however, is that those with an
alcohol use disorder (AUD) are at higher risk for these types of
stresses. For instance, drinking alcohol can cause tension in personal
relationships, problems at work, and legal ramifications.
Disasters and Catastrophes
Some
studies have shown that consumption of alcohol increases in the first
year after a disaster, whether it is manmade or natural. It is notable
that a lot of this research focuses only on problem drinking and not on
alcohol abuse per se. Studies that looked at the development of alcohol
abuse after a catastrophic event are not conclusive. For example, some
studies found no increase of alcohol abuse in survivors of catastrophic
events like 9/11, Hurricane Andrew, and the Oklahoma City bombing;
however, there are other studies of the September 11 survivors that did
find increased alcohol abuse. Similar results with respect to alcohol
abuse were found in the events of Hurricane Katrina, Mount St. Helens
eruption, and many other events. However, people who experience
anxiety, including PTSD, are at higher risk for abusing alcohol compared
to those without an anxiety disorder.
Troubles from Childhood
Childhood
stress, including emotional, sexual, and/or physical abuse or neglect
are among the most prominent of childhood stressors that can lead to
alcohol abuse later in life. These stressors have long-term effects on a
person’s life and account for a large proportion of psychopathology in
adults, primarily involving major depression, chronic depression and
anxiety disorders. Studies have shown that childhood abuse increases
the risk for both adolescent and adult alcohol use, as well as a higher
rate of adult alcohol abuse. Maltreatment or abuse in childhood is
likely to occur more often in children of alcoholics because of poor
parenting practices and possibly genes that increase the risk of alcohol
abuse. Further psychological research is necessary in order to learn
how the childhood stresses and abuse relate to alcoholism.
Socioeconomic Stress
Prejudice
and discrimination as a result of minority or poverty status can lead
to a high degree of stress, which can be emotional and/or physical.
These stressors can be mild, such as being followed around in a store,
or extreme, like being the victim of a hate crime. Long term
socioeconomic stress, emotional and physical abuse are all associated
with lifetime incidence of depression, anxiety and alcohol abuse.
How Stress Effects the Body
Stress
is a state of emotional and psychological strain brought on by events
that foster feelings like anger, anxiety, fear, or sadness. Stress is
characterized by anything that threatens your body’s ability to function
in its normal fashion. Drinking alcohol further impairs the body’s
functioning, putting you at an even higher risk of harm by worsening the
response to stress. Continuous stress along with chronic heavy alcohol
drinking can impair the body’s ability to return to its initial
physiologic balance.
Higher Risk Individuals
Studies
have shown that both men and women with higher-than-normal stress levels
tend todrink alcohol more frequently. Furthermore, men were found to
drink alcohol as a coping mechanism more often than women. For instance,
in people who reported at least six stressful events, alcohol binge
drinking was approximately 1.5 times higher in men than in women, and
alcohol abuse was about 2.5 times higher in men than in women.
Veterans
are more likely to use alcohol to relieve stress, especially if they’ve
seen active combat. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often found
in veterans who’ve seen war (about 14 to 22 percent in recent years),
which makes them at higher risk of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence.
Stress and Recovery
Patients
who’ve gone through alcohol recovery programs often relapse in order to
alleviate cravings, treat anxiety, and help with insomnia. Relapse can
also happen if underlying disorders, like depression or PTSD are
untreated during rehab. Dual diagnosis, otherwise termed as co-morbid or
co-occurring disorders or “double trouble”, is a term referring to
co-existing medical conditions, namely one or more psychological
disorders occurring at the same time with alcohol and / or drug abuse or
dependency. Mental health disorders commonly associated with alcohol or
drug abuse or dependency include depressive and anxiety disorders, and
are some of the most frequent dual diagnosis disorders.
Dual Diagnosis Rehab
Because
our treatment center relies on evidence based practices, our Substance
Abuse Intensive Outpatient Program shares many common methods with other
successful rehab programs. The foundations of our dual diagnosis treatment
program for substance abuse also rely on the principles of harm
reduction, motivational interviewing, stages of change and cognitive
behavioral therapy to promote recovery from alcohol abuse and drug abuse treatment. In
fact, our Intensive Outpatient Program in Memphis, TN that has been
proven to be effective in the treatment of dual diagnosis disorders
involving alcohol abuse and drug treatment in peer reviewed treatment
outcome studies. Our treatment center provides
services to those who need more treatment than one hour a week, but
less than 24 hour care, by providing three hours of treatment per day,
three to five days per week, in an intensive outpatient setting.
If you or a loved one is showing signs of a dual diagnosis disorder,
alcohol abuse or needs drug treatment rehab, they should be assessed by a
trained mental health professional who can help design a treatment plan
that can result in recovery. Treatment for substance abuse can be highly successful. Call us at 901-682-6136 to schedule an appointment.
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