Four ways to find relief

It seemed like a way to cope with the fear.

A shot, a hit, or a long drag of something numbing and mind altering.

To provide some escape from constant worries and sleepless nights.

More clicks on more websites, more porn, more sex.

To find relief from the worst-case scenarios around every corner and the panic in your chest.

It all seemed like a ticket to a ride far away from the anxiety that you just couldn’t shake.

But now you’ve got two problems.

Two battles to fight.

Anxiety and addiction.

A cycle of out of control “fight or flight” fear and unmanageable self-medication.

Now you need a way to deal with them both.

What do you do? How can you cope?

Take the first step. Start here:

Step One: Accept that you need help.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety sufferers are twice, even three times, more likely to have a substance abuse problem during their lifetimes, compared to those who don’t struggle with anxiety.

Step Two: Get help now.

You don’t have to live like this any longer.

Understand that you are dealing with co-occurring disorders. This means that you have two disorders at work inside you at the same time. Right now, it seems like your addictive activity soothes your sense of dread, but that solution is temporary and only ends up fueling more anxiety. Any treatment you seek must address both anxiety and addiction to be effective.

Step Three: Improve your worldview.

Somewhere along the way, your perspective about life and living it became centered on the idea that disaster is a moment away. Disaster you can’t cope with. Addressing that belief, with the help of your therapist, is key to helping you see that you can cope and thrive.

Working together, you will be able to shift your thinking and sift through cognitive distortions. You’ll learn to challenge the negative situations that make you feel helpless and running toward addiction for comfort. A more balanced perspective can be achieved with help and focused effort. You can begin to see how anxiety magnifies an uncomfortable moment and see it for what it really is.

Step Four: Seek balance in your mind and body.

When anxiety and addiction take up residence in your body you need a way to return calm to your body, which, in turn, leads to a calmer mind.

  • Deep breathing/relaxation techniques. The object is to learn to become aware of your body, to focus on feeling it rather than the tension overwhelming it.
  • Mindfulness. The goal is to observe disturbing thoughts and center them on the present. Anxiety is almost always future focused. Learning to cope mindfully will help ease panic, the feeling of being on edge, and distressed thinking.
  • Guided imagery. This technique is an effective therapeutic tool that can be used to help clients calm down from intense emotional and physiological symptoms. Often used to help sufferers rehearse desired behaviors, it also helps you work through traumatic experiences.

It’s easy to see why you thought your substance use or sexual activity could transport you away from all the fear and overwhelm.

You were searching for calm. Peace.

But now you know better.

It’s time for a change.

Start taking back your life with new ways of dealing with stress and anxiety.

Learn how to put “fight or flight” back in perspective and reduce the need for an addictive response.

Work with a compassionate therapist to change your mind, change your habits, and change your life for the better.