Everyone has stress in their lives. For many, while it isn’t fun, it is easy enough to manage. For someone in recovery, stress can be wildly detrimental. The body is designed to cope with stress, and given proper stress management techniques it can do so with few problems. Chronic stress can cause the body’s stress response to deteriorate and become ineffective. Addiction has a tendency to distort the body’s perception of stress, often manipulating the natural stress response.
Good Stress
Our bodies have a normal stress response which occurs when our brain determines we are in a stressful situation. Sometimes, this response if beneficial. For example, if someone is standing on a train track and a train is coming, the body’s natural stress response kicks in and the brain releases hormones that begin a cycle within the body that produces adrenaline to give you a burst of excess energy that moves your body out of harm’s way. On a more mundane level, if you look at a clock and realize you are late for an important meeting, your body releases the hormones at a lower volume and your body reacts by hurrying. These examples show that not all stress is negative.
Bad Stress
Drugs and alcohol disrupt the normal stress response. They release hormones and endorphins that make you feel good temporarily. However, as their effects wear off, you’re left feeling more stressed than when you began. For someone in recovery, stress can seem magnified and the body’s reaction to the stressor can often trigger an urge to turn to drugs and alcohol to relieve the tension and relax.
Stress is inevitable and when someone is in recovery, sometimes they need more assistance dealing with that stress to prevent potential relapse. Hired Power created a program called Personal Recovery Assistance which gives clients a sober companion to help create strategies for stress relief and relaxation. Having a detailed, personalized treatment plan and a sober companion to help clients implement and adhere to their plans can greatly reduce the possibility of relapse. Hired Power also offers Recovery Care Management services which can provide an even more comprehensive level of assistance to those that need more support. These services are all fully customized to meet the individual needs of each client and their loved ones.
Call Hired Power today for information on our renowned recovery services, in addition to our many other recovery services designed to help you and your family bring recovery home. 800.910.9299
