ANXIETY AND ADDICTION

 

 

It’s rare for an addiction to materialise from thin air. Addiction is usually caused by deeper psychological and emotional issues such as anxiety and depression.

 

Often those who become addicted to drugs or alcohol arrive there as they attempt to escape from the negative thoughts and feelings generated by their depression and anxiety.  This is commonly referred to as ‘self-medicating’.

 

If one accepts this premise then it’s reasonable to conclude that those who suffer from addiction are not really addicted to the substances – more accurately they are addicted to the desire to  ‘escape’ their pain, sadness, trauma, anger etc.

 

Those of you familiar with The Reach Approach will understand that there is a biological component to addiction which should also be considered.

 

In other words, our cells come to expect and ‘need’ the substance of choice and so when withdrawal is attempted, there is a discomfort which echoes throughout the organism, generating a range of challenging symptoms.  Therefore, addiction is not only a condition of the mind but also the body… changes in addictive behaviour should be carefully managed, taking the biological reality into account.

 


Also see: The Story of Health and Persuading the Body

And: What to do if your adult child is an addict

To find out more about the connection between anxiety and addiction, please click here