Ties Between Alcoholism and Anxiety

One of the reasons that alcoholism can be difficult to treat is that it often presents alongside anxiety. Managing the alcoholism is only one piece of the puzzle. A high-quality rehab program will address underlying and co-occurring mental disorders, such as anxiety. Learning more about the ties between alcoholism and anxiety could help you or a loved one seek out the best treatment for your needs.

What Causes Alcoholism?

Nobody knows what causes alcoholism. Alcohol use disorder usually starts when someone consistently drinks so much that the reward centers in the brain tell them to keep doing so if they want to feel pleasure. This makes individuals want to consume alcohol more frequently or in higher doses. Eventually, they no longer get pleasure from drinking, but they may have trouble quitting because they experience uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms when they stop consuming alcohol.

Does Anxiety Cause Alcoholism?

Alcoholism and anxiety often go hand in hand. Anxiety may be one element that influences the development of alcohol use disorder. However, not everyone with anxiety develops alcoholism.

Anxiety can develop because someone has a substance abuse disorder. As alcoholism causes detrimental effects in someone’s life, they may develop anxiety while they try to keep it together.

In some cases, alcoholism and anxiety create a vicious cycle. Regardless of which problem occurs first, the two disorders feed off of one another. This cycle makes people feel as though they’re spinning out of control.

Anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia are risk factors for alcoholism. Because consuming alcohol numbs uncomfortable feelings, people with mental health disorders may try to self-medicate by using the substance. They might drink to relax or to reduce social anxiety.

The Best Rehab Centers Treat Alcoholism and Anxiety

If they don’t develop other methods of coping with stress and apprehension, people who use alcohol to take the edge off may turn to it more frequently. They usually develop a tolerance, making them want to drink more to feel the same effects.

A reputable and effective rehab program should be able to help people manage the effects of withdrawal as they detox from the substance, get support for their addiction, and learn how to move forward without using substances.

An anxiety treatment center that offers evidence-based, holistic approaches to addiction treats the whole person. At Grace Recovery, we use the following methods to help people succeed in sobriety while coping with their anxiety:

• 12-step community
• Meditation
• Acupuncture
• Dual diagnosis treatment
• On-site detox

Instead of getting our clients in and out, we base our treatment programs on individual needs. We have found that most people need at least 90 days of alcoholism and anxiety therapy for the best outcomes.

If you’re ready to find healthy ways to manage your anxiety and release yourself from the clutches of alcoholism, call Grace Recovery at *DM_DirectNumber format=period* today.