There are several ways that stress and addiction are related. Stress can lead to substance abuse as a form of escape, and it can also trigger a relapse. After you have completed your addiction treatment program at Bayview Recovery in Tacoma, WA, you should manage your stress levels and stressful situations that could trigger self-destructive behavior.

It’s vital to get treatment for both your addiction and your stress levels. At Bayview Recovery, we strive to give you the tools to manage both of these factors effectively. We offer a range of addiction and mental health treatment programs to help attain this goal. For more information about our treatment programs, contact our experts today at 855.478.3650.

Managing Stress and Addiction

Stress comes into your life from time to time, particularly when you’re under extreme pressure at work or increased financial responsibilities. However, prolonged stress leads to adverse physical and mental health outcomes. If you experience chronic stress, this can cause complications, such as depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders. Another significant risk is addiction. When people become overwhelmed by stress, there is an added risk of turning to alcohol and drug use.

How Does Stress Affect You Physically?

Besides the connection between stress and addiction, chronic stress adversely affects your body’s vital systems such as:

• Central Nervous System
• Endocrine System
• Cardiovascular System
• Immune System
• Respiratory System
• Digestive System
• Reproductive System

At Bayview Recovery, you can use mindfulness meditation therapy and other holistic approaches to deal with stress without jeopardizing your recovery work.

Exercise and Nutrition

Daily exercise naturally reduces stress and positively impacts physical and mental well-being. Exercise may even help prevent drug-seeking behaviors. Build up your stamina and improve your cognitive function with a daily physical activity regimen combined with getting plenty of rest.

Eating nutritious meals helps replenish your body after years of substance abuse. Maintaining a proper diet and nutrient-rich foods boost your energy. However, it would help if you avoid caffeine, which can contribute to anxiety or panic attacks.

To help you break the cycle of stress and addiction, we incorporate nutrition education in our substance abuse treatment programs.

Writing to Reduce Your Stress Levels

When you write out your thoughts and feelings, it often helps reduce stress. We encourage you to keep a journal of your emotional journey through recovery and beyond. For example, you could write about how you felt after a counseling session or how you learned to deal with triggers more effectively. You can always refer to these notes when you need positive reinforcement to maintain your recovery.

Journaling is a healthy outlet to deal with stress and addiction.

Turn to a Power Higher than Yourself

As part of the 12-step philosophy of recovery, our therapists encourage you to turn to a power higher than yourself for strength. If you believe in God, religion serves as a great outlet. Spirituality also provides an outlet and helps you realize that some things are beyond your control.

Surrendering to this knowledge has excellent healing potential as you learn to accept the things you cannot change and concentrate on developing healthy habits.

Stress and Addiction Treatment in Tacoma

At our treatment center, we want to give you the tools to manage your stress without turning to substance abuse. For instance, our yoga therapy program helps clients destress and prepare for evidence-based therapies and other classes. These treatments are just one of the skills that you can learn to cope with stress in healthy ways.

At Bayview Recovery in Tacoma, WA, you will learn how stress impacts your body and brain. Our effective addiction treatment lends support and shows you how to avoid relapse by managing your stress during recovery. For more information about your treatment options, contact us today at 855.478.3650.