Sobriety and Anxiety: Dealing With Anxiety During Recovery

February 25, 2021

Harmony Place Team

Anxiety is a psychological disorder characterized by excessive worrying, stress, and intrusive thoughts. Stress is healthy to some extent. But people dealing with the combination of sobriety anxiety experience a level of stress that can negatively affect their journey to recovery.

This can lead to using drugs and alcohol to self-medicate. Alternatively, an alcohol or substance use disorder might lead to an anxiety disorder because of a psychological dependence. Regardless of which came first, living with anxiety during recovery poses a unique set of problems to overcome.

A dual diagnosis is when a person suffers from multiple health disorders. It’s also known as a co-occurring disorder or comorbidity. Recovering addicts suffering from an additional health disorder, like a mental illness, must seek out dual diagnosis treatment to fully recover.

The Facts About Sobriety and Anxiety

Research indicates that substance use disorders and anxiety disorders commonly occur together. Also, they both affect millions of Americans every year. The lifetime rate of substance use disorders in the United States is about 29%. In comparison, the lifetime rate of Americans suffering from an anxiety disorder is 14.6%. Yet, almost 18% of individuals suffering from a substance use disorder met the criteria for an anxiety disorder as well.

Additional statistics about anxiety and addiction reveal that an anxiety disorder precedes 57%-80% of alcohol use disorders and up to 100% of substance use disorders. So it might be easy to say that everyone with addiction had or has an anxiety disorder. However, it’s a lot more complicated than that. Studies find that withdrawal symptoms may mimic anxiety.

With this in mind, it’s crucial to see if a recovering addict is completely through their withdrawal stage to assess whether or not they’re truly suffering from a type of anxiety disorder. There are five main types of anxiety disorders.

5 Main Types of Anxiety Disorders

General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – Characterized by chronic stress and worry without any real cause, GAD commonly co-occurs with substance use disorders.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – Usually, PTSD results from a serious traumatic incident, like domestic abuse or war. Those with PTSD may relive painful memories and avoid certain situations to avoid emotional turmoil.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – People with OCD have obsessions (intrusive thoughts) and compulsions (repetitive behaviors). They will give in to compulsions in an attempt to stop the obsessions. Compulsions are often called rituals and may involve constant checking and counting. One study found that around 4% of people with OCD also suffered from a substance use disorder.
Panic Disorder – This is another mental illness that commonly co-occurs with substance use disorders. Characteristics include stressful, physical symptoms, like feeling dizzy, short of breath, and in pain.
Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia) – Those who suffer from social anxiety disorder excessively worry about social situations. This could include speaking at a public event or eating in front of others. In extreme cases, those suffering from a social phobia may feel stressed out in the company of others as a whole.

7 Ways To Deal With the Combination of Sobriety and Anxiety

1. Use Supplements and Vitamins To Help Cope With Anxiety

Certain vitamins and supplements can help people suffering from anxiety. One study indicated that several natural supplements have promising results. The study found that excessively stressed people could benefit from taking:

Passionflower: A climbing vine that blooms with purple flowers
Kava: Supplements are made from the root of this plant that is said to increase the amount of GABA in the brain
L-lysine: An amino acid that is essential for brain and body health
L-arginine: An amino acid that helps build protein and increase blood flow

There are other supplements out there that may help with mental health. Magnesium is one of them, but more studies must be done to determine it. These supplements have the ability to naturally help anxious minds with fewer side effects. Though, it’s important to check with a medical professional just in case.

2. Essential Oils Can Help

Essential oils are another form of integrated treatment to help manage unwarranted stress during recovery. Aromatherapy has a basis in ancient practices that are still used today. There are many pleasant essential oils to choose from that can help with multiple kinds of mental illnesses.

Some studies cite these essential oils for better mental health:

Orange Oil
Bergamont
Lavender
Jatamansi

People can put essential oil in a diffuser or inhale it on a handkerchief. One study found that patients who inhaled orange oil for 15-20 minutes a few times a week reported less anxiety overall. Participants soaked a handkerchief in the oil and then inhaled it. Certain essential oils, like Jatamansi, increase the brain’s chemical production. Jatamansi theoretically increases GABA production.

3. Reduce Screen Time

Truth be told, more screen time typically means a higher risk of mental illness. Research suggests that people who spend lots of time on a computer, phone, or tablet have worse mental health. With this, every hour of screen time has shown to hurt psychological well-being.

It’s no secret that social media can hurt a person’s mental health. People fabricate and post the best parts of their life on social media. This can make a person feel worse about their own life, even though most of what they’re looking at is not exactly the most accurate representation of individuals’ lives. Spend as little as you can using screens to keep stress at bay.

4. Stop Smoking Cigarettes

Contrary to what smokers may believe, smoking cigarettes has shown to increase stress. One study found that smokers become more stressed because of their nicotine dependency. Nicotine is a highly-addictive stimulant drug that relaxes people but only in the short-term.

Participants of the study were more stressed out overall in between cigarette use than when they stopped smoking. Many addiction treatment centers allow patients to smoke cigarettes. However, substituting one addiction for another can do more harm than good.

5. Limit How Much News You Watch

Being an informed citizen is a good thing. But it becomes a bad thing for mental health after a certain point. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) advises people to limit the amount of news they watch. This applies to any media source (ie: social media and news stations). If there is nothing to gain by paying attention to the news, skip it.

ADAA recommends muting notifications and checking news outlets quickly a few times a day at most. They also write that it’s crucial to only tune into credible news sources. They’re more likely to provide factual information without hyping it up.

6. Avoid Communication with Toxic Friends and Family

Friends and family are people to lean on during tough times, including throughout recovery from addiction. However, friends and family members can sometimes be toxic. It’s understandable when a loved one gets upset over an addiction. At the same time, an alcohol or substance use disorder is a medical condition. If anyone, friend or family, makes you feel less than human, it’s time to cut them out.

On the other hand, toxic people might encourage a recovering addict to drink or do drugs. Both kinds of people will ultimately make an anxiety disorder worse. It can hurt to cut ties with people that you love, but recovery comes first. If they’re interested in your wellbeing then they will understand your boundaries.

7. Try Mind-Body Exercises

Exercise is a powerful way to soothe an anxious mind. The brain rewards the body with feel-good chemicals when a person exercises. Mind-body exercises are even better at helping with anxiety. Some examples of mind-body exercises include:

Yoga
Tai Chi
Qi Gong
Pilates

These kinds of exercises are known as moving meditation. They help calm the body, mind, and soul. The practices learned within these promote good physical health and mindfulness, which helps with mental health.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment For Coping With Severe Anxiety and Addiction

Living with an anxiety disorder and an addiction can complicate recovery. Dealing with one health issue but not the other can mean ineffective treatment in the long term. A comprehensive plan requires dual diagnosis treatment. An addiction treatment center that specializes in co-occurring disorders treatment makes sure to look at a patient’s mental and physical health as a whole.

Medication-assisted treatment helps patients with a co-occurring disorder get the help they need. A person with an anxiety disorder may be prescribed a non-addictive anxiety medication to treat their mental illness. Neglecting mental health can increase the chance of relapse and self-medicating. Also, psychotherapy plays a necessary role in addiction treatment.

Therapy For Addicts Coping With Severe Anxiety

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT for short, helps patients living with an anxiety disorder. It makes patients aware of the harmful thoughts that lead to negative behaviors. For instance, a person may subconsciously have thoughts that lower their self-esteem. CBT helps them identify thoughts like this, and change them in the future.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Another popular form of therapy is dialectical behavior therapy, aka DBT. This school of thought builds on CBT theory with more of an emphasis on stopping behaviors, rather than thoughts. Therapists who specialize in DBT validate patient’s thoughts and actions while guiding them toward the truth of a situation. Dialectical behavior therapy is known to help people with severe mental illnesses, like those who self-harm.

Harmony Place Helps Patients Coping With Severe Anxiety Disorders With Our Evidence Based Therapy Programs

Coping with severe anxiety can make you feel crazy. Addiction can make you feel alone. No one deserves to feel either, especially when they’re dealing with a dual diagnosis. Harmony Place provides more than addiction treatment programs, evidence based therapy, and outpatient programs in Los Angeles, CA. We also provide a strong support network to turn to when you need it most. Contact us now to join the Harmony Place family.

References:

Chris P

I've been to 12 rehabs over the last 20 years and NO other place has touch like Harmony Place! From the owner right down to the cleaning lady, everyone here is kinda and warm. God has blessed this place and I feel privileged to have come through here. I recommend anyone who is going through their struggle with mental health or substance abuse to pick up the phone and come! You won't regret it!

Joseph S

This place is incredible, kind, loving, patient, rigorous, educative, caring and the best place for recovery. Ill be part of the alumni crew

Monica G

I had very good experience at Harmony Place From first day I came, staff was very kind and make me feel welcome and safe. Everyone was friendly and always try to help me. The therapists are very good and caring. They listen to me and help me understand my problems better. I learn many things from them and feel stronger because of their support. The nurses also very nice and professional. They always check on me and make sure I am okay. Food was good and facilities were clean and comfortable. It help me feel more relaxed and focus on my recovery. Management also doing very good job. Everything was organized and you can see they really care about patients. I am very thankful for this place and all the people who work here. I recommend this center to anyone who needs help.

Denton

Awesome place great people u want to check this place out most definitely 😜

Tyler

A treatment center where the owners truly care about your recovery and after care.. cannot recommend enough

Jodana S

If you want to detox painlessly this is the place! The staff is A1. They truly care about us. The groups are awesome . Residential is crazy awesome! You live in a mansion. With a private chef who makes the best food. Community meeting that gets results fast, they care about your opinions. Pool and Jacuzzi are beautiful. If your struggling with addiction this is the house you should come to. I LOVE HARMONY PLACE!!!!! Thank you to all the staff they go above and beyond to make this experience comfortable therapeutic. Don't spend another day in your addiction come to Harmony Place right now!

Cass

I’ve been to 4 treatment centers before Harmony Place, and I can tell you without a single doubt that this is the absolute best by FAR. The past ones were luxury Residential Treatment centers that just treated every single client the same not tailoring to each individual, and were basically just in it for the money, dropping the ball each time. I can also tell you that I’ve never met the CEOs, but here, David comes to the facility almost every single day, and makes sure he get to know every individual here. He is incredibly kind, and was even willing to transfer me to another facility with a higher level of trauma therapy due to me having a lifetime of trauma and PTSD that just is going to take a long time to tackle. He truly cares about all of the clients having all of the tools that we need before getting released to the real world. No more of other CEO would ever be willing to miss an opportunity at making more money and even paired with my IMPECCABLE case manager to find a different facility that was more trauma based. My case manager, Sam, goes absolutely above and beyond in every single aspect. She makes sure you have a smooth transition into aftercare, provides out of this world advice when it comes to sobriety, and takes the time out of her day to make sure that FMLA and short-term disability are completely taken care of during your stay. I’ve never met a case manager that could ever compare to Sam. Ever. I feel lucky to have met her, genuinely. Marissa, my therapist, is SO SWEET, actually listens to you, and provides advice and therapy tailored to each individual’s experience. She’s handled every mood I’ve been in, never judged me, and allowed me to feel safe enough to tell her things I’ve never told any person or therapist in my 29 years of life. I’ve been going to therapy for the past 15 years, and none of those therapists even come close to how amazing she is. I’ve been to 4 other treatment centers in my life and none even come close to Harmony Place. The facility is clean, organized, and high-end. I would recommend Harmony place to my family, friends, and anyone seeking treatment. I feel SO BLESSED to have landed in their hands. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE IN THE CLINICAL STAFF BEYOND WORDS. I love you guys ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️. I feel more confident than ever in my Recovery.

Gabe H

Where to begin.. Harmony is a place that will forever be a part of my story as the first step in my recovery journey. I’m so grateful for this program. The staff is very friendly, and many of them understand what addiction is like, for they themselves have recovery stories of their own. They have an awesome team of therapists, group facilitators, nurses, RA technicians, medical and health professionals, a wonderful case manager for aftercare that cares deeply for your next steps; making sure you are set up for success. They have a wonderful admissions team (shoutout to Marielle who was so kind and understanding of my messed up situation). Everyone is very relatable and friendly. They invest heavily in the importance of diet and nutrition too - there’s a full time professional chef. I gained all the weight I lost and wanted back in the first two weeks lol. On top of the intensive programming they do throughout the day, they take us out to experience various kinds of outside groups to get a taste of the real world, and also take us on social outings during the weekend. If you’re serious about getting better this place will meet you where you’re at and prepare you to launch with a renewed mind and heart.

Monica P

I can't begin to explain just how amazing Harmony Place is. In fact, when we sit down with the owner, Jeff, and clinical director, David, on Monday mornings to have a house meeting, they ask us what they could be doing better. A bigger blender for smoothies is the ONLY thing we could come up with. Let me begin by addressing some negative reviews. If you notice many of them are from people, or are referring to people who have been asked to leave. It is because of harmony places protection of their clients that provide ideal conditions for healing and progress. There is a screening process that it is implemented where they make sure the clients they admit are ready to start a life of sobriety. Some people slip through the cracks. Some people find out a few days or weeks in that they've changed their minds. Some are inappropriate and break rules. It happens. When Harmony Place ask people to leave, It's because they are protecting the people who are here that want treatment. In effect, they're providing exactly what I needed for a genuine start to recovery. When I began my search for a treatment center, my requirements were that the facility's provide an environment in which its residents all want to be there and that it is ethically ran. I got that and so much more at Harmony Place. As well as a structured routine, they also provide a confidential and nurturing environment where one feels safe and where profound healing can begin. Their program offers a sound foundation where further progress in sober living is almost guaranteed. In group meetings, we enjoy getting to know ourselves again and with deeper understanding about why we are the way we are. We are provided with skills to handle real life. Its here that I've come to understand that its not addiction that has driven me to make a mess of my life. It is the trauma that I endured and not processing it correctly that lead to poor thinking patterns that opened the door to addiction resulting in poor life management. So we start at the bottom. Trauma. They help us understand that trauma has led to our own toxicity, what that trauma looks like and how to get out of our own way. Process groups help us learn how to take accountability and foster healthier relationships. I learned here that changing the way I think is absolutely possible and imperative to the healing process. Harmony Place offered me hope when I previously felt I was unfixable and a support team that truly loves me. Even after I leave here, I have contacts that almost demand I keep in touch and an alumni meeting where I can return to the facility on Thursday nights. I wasn't a 12 stepper when I came here but my first experience with it was not one where I was ready to stop using. I understand now that the steps will work for me. It's certainly is not the only modality that they teach. In one group, we are provided an opportunity to sit with a recently retired medical doctor to just ask questions. Another is with a nutritionist. There are a handful of people IN recovery that come to lead groups that are all accredited highly specialized where I felt understood and not judged. The knowledge I have gained here is life changing. It is also versatile and relatable for all types of people. my favorite group was dialectical behavioral therapy. There are breathing classes and sound bath groups and I started doing yoga in the morning. There's a dharma meeting they take you offsite that focuses on Buddhist values. A fantastic onsight chef provides three meals and you can have special requests. We facilitated our own Movie nights during free time. I cant forget to mention you get your own one on one meetings with your assigned primary therapist and there is comprehensive medical support complete with 24/7 nurses and a doctor that shows up throughout the week. If this is what you need to recover and you have mediCAL, cancel your mediCAL and get insurance Harmony Place accepts if you can. There are people to help you with that as well. Just call. Many, many thanks to the staff. ✔️Another life changed.🙏

Cody B

This is such an amazing place truly changed my life. I would recommend this place to anybody if they’re looking for a strong recovery house that truly cares about your recovery and not about just money So if you’re ready to change your life, don’t miss out on the greatness of harmony because this place is where it’s at