Drug addiction and anxiety seem to go hand-in-hand. Sometimes people turn to illegal drugs for relief from anxiety and ultimately find themselves addicted to them. In other cases, people who have become addicted to drugs develop anxiety about their future and life in general. At our Sacramento detox center, we know that regardless of how or why a person developed anxiety, it is important to get it under control. And for people in recovery who are reluctant to start a medication regimen, there are ways to address it without medication.
It’s important that you talk with your doctor before starting or discontinuing any medication. That said, here are five things you can do to help lessen your anxiety naturally:
Deep Breathing
When we say “take a breath,” we’re typically just encouraging someone who is upset to calm down. But as it turns out, medical science has proven there’s more to it than that. Deep breathing causes a number of positive physiological changes in your body. It lowers your blood pressure, slows your heart rate, and reduces the level of the “fight or flight” hormones in your bloodstream, just to name a few. And this anti-stress response is something you can trigger at any time.
Positive Self-Talk
If you listen to your internal voice when you are feeling anxious, it generally doesn’t have anything good to say. Often the dialogue sounds like, “Oh no, this is bad. And it can only get worse. This is going to be awful.” However, you have control of that voice, even if it may not feel like it at times. Ditching the negative chatter and replacing it with words that are more positive and encouraging can be very helpful.
Exercise
The state of your physical health can have a big impact on your mental health. Regular exercise causes the release of “feel good” brain chemicals that can elevate your mood and minimize your anxiety. Plus, if you are exercising outside, sunshine and fresh air are also known to have a positive effect on mood and emotions.
Physical touch
When it comes to creating a more relaxed state, nothing beats a massage. And a good rubdown does more than affect your state of mind. Studies have shown that it both decreases the levels of stress hormones in your bloodstream and causes the release of feel-good chemicals. Other forms of physical contact like hugging a friend or petting a dog have a similar positive impact on physical and emotional well-being.
Music
Studies have proven that listening to music can reduce stress, improve mood, and even decrease physical pain. That’s why so many people instinctively turn on the tunes when they want to relax and unwind. Classical music and jazz seem to have the most pronounced effects, but anything you enjoy will work.
At our drug and alcohol detox in Sacramento, we work with our clients to help them achieve a sense of calm and balance as they begin the process of recovery. Contact us today at (800) 205-6107 to learn more about our programs.
Content reviewed by Vicky Magobet, PMHNP-BC, on July 24th, 2017.
