Anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues in the U.S. Tens of millions of people are affected by it every year. Anxiety is especially prevalent in people who have a chemical dependency. At our Sacramento detox, we explain that in order to be successful in recovery, it’s important to address anxiety and any other mental health issues a person may be dealing with.
Effective Ways to Address Anxiety in Addiction Recovery
Treatment for anxiety can include everything from “talk therapy” to medication. There are also a number of activities and techniques that can be used to augment professional treatment, including:
- Exercise. Raising your heart rate for at least 30 minutes a day can help decrease feelings of anxiety and depression. Whether that is going for a run, swimming, or dancing, it all provides significant benefits.
- Meditation. There are many forms of meditation, but all involve relaxation and a feeling of being aware of all thoughts — stressful and otherwise — without being affected by them. Mediation is even believed to produce a positive rewiring of the brain’s neural pathways over time that makes you more resilient to stress.
- List making. One of the major causes of anxiety is the feeling of being disorganized and the concern that important things are “falling through the cracks.” Making lists of tasks can help relieve that stress. Plus checking the box on a completed item actually gives you a small jolt of “feel good” endorphins.
- Personal connection. When you are feeling anxious, being alone with your thoughts is generally not a good thing. Spending time with people who can commiserate about your challenges or simply provide a distraction from them can be very beneficial.
- Eating a healthy diet. It’s easy when gripped by anxiety to eat whatever is handy, even if it’s something full of empty calories that don’t provide the sustained energy you need. While the connection between what we eat and how we feel isn’t always obvious, it is there and it is powerful.
- Listen to music. Music is proven to have therapeutic properties including lowering blood pressure, slowing heart rate, and decreasing the level of stress hormones in the blood. And, any type of music can be effective if you find it to be relaxing.
Helping You Calm Your Own Personal Chaos
Getting your anxiety or other mental health issues under control can go a long way toward helping you be successful in beating your addiction. In addition to the things you can do for yourself in that regard, our programs can help as well. Learn more about the programs at our Sacramento detox by contacting us today.
