Panic Disorder and Addiction Recovery

When mental health issues cause interruptions in our lives and what we want to do, we may find ourselves looking for ways to escape. Many people turn to substances because they provide temporary relief from upsetting things. While they may momentarily camouflage the feelings, substances can make things worse in the long run. For instance, if you struggle with panic disorder, it can be incredibly difficult to get through your day. Yet, if you are struggling with panic disorder alongside substance abuse, you may experience even more severe challenges.

West Coast Recovery Centers understands the difficulty of living with panic disorder and provides addiction recovery treatment that can meet our clients where they are. We want to give you the skills to manage panic disorder on your own, with therapy and medication if necessary.

Panic attacks are hard to handle and can be isolating. Sometimes you may feel like turning to a substance just to get away from the panic. While panic can feel suffocating when it's happening, you may be making your panic disorder worse by turning to substance use. Nevertheless, professional treatment can provide you with the tools that you need to navigate panic disorder, establish sobriety, and foster long-term healing in your life.  

What is Panic Disorder?

Panic attacks can happen to anyone, and having one does not mean that you have a panic disorder. If your panic is affecting your quality of life, you may be experiencing panic disorder. Panic disorder is when you experience frequent and unexpected panic attacks. These panic attacks are characterized by sudden, unexpected waves of fear or discomfort when there is no clear danger or trigger. Panic attacks include physical symptoms that can feel like a heart attack or other large medical event. During an attack, your heart rate may rise, and you may tremble. Some people may also experience a loss of breath and hyperventilation. 

Panic happens because your body and brain are reacting to a perceived danger, even if there isn't one. While there is no one root cause of panic disorder, you may be more likely to develop it if you have unresolved trauma or a familial history of mental health disorders like anxiety disorders. People who struggle with panic disorder may experience up to multiple attacks a day, to a few a year. Panic is uncomfortable, and at times it can feel unbearable. Meanwhile, many people who experience panic disorder may turn to substances in an attempt to self-medicate their symptoms. 

How Addiction Affects Panic

When you turn to substances to handle your mental health, you may be making it worse. Constant use of substances as a coping mechanism may lead you to develop substance use disorder (SUD). Many people who struggle with their mental health also struggle with co-occurring disorders. Addiction and mental health often exist together because people may use substances as an unhealthy coping skill. 

When you struggle with panic, you may desire to find a way to escape, and substances may seem to provide that momentary escape. Yet, unfortunately, addiction may cause even more issues in your life and make your anxiety worse. When the only escape that you feel is from anxiety is substances, it may make your overall level of anxiety higher when you are not using. Further, many symptoms of substances mimic symptoms of panic attacks. In addition, withdrawing from substance use will also heighten your feelings of anxiety.

It is imperative to find a healthier way to cope with your anxiety and avoid substance use to achieve wellness in your daily life. Professional treatment can help. 

Getting Treatment for Panic Disorder in Addiction Recovery

Finding treatment for your panic disorder will greatly improve your quality of life. There are different options for treatment, and an accredited treatment provider can give you the skills that you need to manage your panic. West Coast Recovery Centers offers comprehensive mental health treatment for our clients. This often includes therapeutic intervention. 

In therapy, you will work with your provider to identify triggers of your anxiety and skills to help yourself calm down. They will show you healthy coping skills that will make a difference in the frequency and intensity of your panic. Treatment may also include medication management, which can help alleviate the intensity of symptoms. 

If you are struggling with SUD and addiction, treatment can also give you the tools you need to get healthy. Therapy and support groups will help you learn better coping skills. They will also give you a support group to turn to when things are overwhelming, instead of substances. Medication can also help to manage withdrawal and cravings while also alleviating your symptoms ot panic.

Panic disorder can be difficult to live with, but addiction will only make it more challenging. When you are struggling with both, it is important to reach out to a provider to get help to minimize health consequences and to enhance your well-being. Treatment will give you the skills that you need to not be ruled by panic and put you on a path to living a happy and worthwhile life.

Panic disorder can be debilitating to live with without treatment. Some people may turn to substances to numb out the feelings of anxiety, but this will only make their symptoms worse in the long term. Addiction adds to feelings of anxiety as you come down, and can in fact make your day-to-day anxiety worse. When you struggle with panic, substances are a temporary escape that will make the problem larger. Anxiety and addiction are hard to handle, but therapy and treatment can provide you with effective tools for healing. If you are struggling with a panic disorder and addiction, there are resources available to help. Call West Coast Recovery Centers today at (760) 492-6509 to learn more.