Addiction and alcoholism are a response to stress. Put another way, turning to drugs and alcohol is a stress management response, albeit a poor and damaging one. Stress is not something which happens outside of the body, to us. Stress is something which is actively occurring inside of the body, within us. Evolution has given us our stress response system as part of our sympathetic nervous system and the functioning of our amygdala area in the brain. When we detect or suspect a threat, our body kicks into action, producing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Our body becomes primed for action to take flight away from a situation, fight the situation, or many other possible responses. How we respond to stress becomes programmed in our brain. Drugs and alcohol are mind-altering substances. When we turn to drugs and alcohol as a response to stress, our stress programming becomes immediately connected with drugs and alcohol. Meaning, the minute our brain suspects or detects stress of any kind, its first and foremost though is to use drugs and alcohol. Moreover, as addiction develops, the body and brain become more susceptible to stress. Quickly, everything becomes some kind of a stressor, leading to chronic cravings and potentially chronic use. Stress management, therefore, is extremely important for regulating triggers, stressors, emotional responses, and any cravings to use.
For students in college who have recently entered recovery, stress management is essential. Recovery is without a doubt the way to a better life after living with addiction. However, recovery doesn’t mean a student will be immune to college stress or that they won’t suffer being overwhelmed, overloaded, or triggered. Stress management is a set of daily practices which helps students create a foundation of calm to operate from to begin with, rather than confront and remedy stress every single time it arises.
At Hired Power, our dynamic team of experienced recovery professionals seeks first and foremost to reduce stress for the individuals and family members we work with. Our services like case management and personal recovery assistants help make recovery manageable in a safe, efficient, and effective way.
Hired Power offers recovery services designed to make your family’s journey through the recovery process as seamless as possible. Our dynamic team of experienced recovery professionals strive to bring their personal passion and professional expertise to your every need and concern. Ultimately, our goal is to help you bring recovery home and focus on where healing matters most: family. For information on our services, call us today: 714-559-3919