Anxiety and addiction often go hand-in-hand. One can be the cause of another. For example, you can be suffering from anxiety due for multiple reasons. To feel better, you begin consuming prescription drugs. But soon the drugs take over and push you into the deep hole of addiction. This same process can also happen in reverse where you are already addicted and suffer from anxiety as a side effect.
Such an occurrence is known as co-occurring disorders and they can be treated using dual diagnosis treatment. However, if you are already in recovery and suffer from anxiety, the process changes a bit.
Ways to Deal with Anxiety During Recovery
Anxiety is a common occurrence while fighting against addiction. It usually happens due to the absence of substance and even loneliness at times. Fortunately, there are ways to combat this situation also.
A few proven ways to overcome anxiety during recovery are:
- Practice grounding exercises
It is an effective way to divert your thoughts from all the negativities. It helps you in calming yourself down. The exercise requires you to focus on your five senses in the following order:
- 5 things you can see
- 4 things you can touch
- 3 things you can hear
- 2 things you can smell
- One thing you can taste
This exercise can also be named a 5-4-3-2-1 exercise where you follow the above-mentioned technique.
- Follow box breathing
When experiencing anxiety attacks, you often are unable to breathe properly. That’s when this exercise comes to the rescue. Box breathing helps you to take deep breaths when anxious. This way, you relieve your mind of all the racing negative thoughts.
- Music therapy
If you feel uneasy and anxious during recovery, simply listen to some soothing tracks. Music has a great ability to instill calming sensations in your mind. Thus, listening to soothing music while feeling anxious can help a lot in calming yourself down.
Another effective way to overcome anxiety is by approaching support groups at a rehab. You can approach our support groups at Mallard Lake Detox Center in Texas.
Contact us now to know more!