Stress is a normal part of everyday life. However, some people may have a more difficult time than others navigating stressful situations. Those who are recovering from substance abuse and mental health disorders often have a lower stress threshold. Therefore, creating a toolkit for managing stress is essential to ongoing recovery and positive mental health. According to MedlinePlus, “The first step in managing stress is recognizing it in your life …. Once you know what signals to look for, you can start to manage it.” The Guest House helps clients manage stress using evidence-based and alternative holistic therapies.
Health Dangers Associated With Failure to Manage Stress
Stress is a primary risk factor for the development of many preventable diseases, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, and mental health disorders. People’s well-being is directly affected by how well they manage the stressors in their lives.
A few additional health dangers associated with unmanaged stress include:
- Cognitive impairment
- Increased risk of substance abuse or relapse
- Reproductive health issues, including reduced fertility
- Asthma and other respiratory conditions
- Muscle pain and discomfort
- Increased risk of type two diabetes
- Significant weight gain or loss
- Weakened immune system
These potential health dangers may lead to severe and persistent symptoms. Professional treatment for stress-related physical or mental health issues can ensure people get the support they need to avoid developing preventable conditions.
Physical and Mental Side Effects of Stress
The physical and mental side effects of stress vary significantly and exist along a spectrum from mild to severe. People may have various responses to stress depending on their situation and their current mental health status. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), “When you’re under stress, your body reacts by releasing hormones that produce the ‘fight-or-flight’ response.’” The “fight-or-flight” response is a common reaction to chronic emotional distress or trauma.
Some possible physical and mental side effects of chronic or acute stress include:
- Chest pain
- Arrhythmia or rapid heartbeat
- Breathing difficulties
- High blood pressure
- Gastrointestinal issues
- Self-harming or risk-taking behaviors
- Suicidal ideation
- Socially isolating behaviors
- Racing thoughts
- Persistent feelings of worry
- Extreme changes in appetite
- Sleep disturbances
- Neglecting personal and professional responsibilities
- Anxiety or panic attacks
- Depressive episodes
- Emotional numbness or detachment
- Decreased motivation
- Unusual irritability
- Extreme mood swings
Participating in treatment for substance abuse and mental health disorders significantly reduces the side effects of stress by ensuring you have the skills and resources to manage stress more effectively.
The Benefits of Learning to Manage Stress
Stress is a significant and common health risk. People experience many benefits from learning to reduce stress in their lives. According to Health.gov, “Preventing and managing long-term stress can lower your risk for other conditions – like heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and depression.”
Some of the primary benefits of learning to manage stress include:
- Increased life satisfaction
- Healthier coping mechanisms
- Reduced anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues
- Improved focus and concentration
- Reduced risk of preventable health issues
Learning to manage stress can help people regain control of their lives.
How to Effectively Reduce Stress
Reducing stress is necessary to ensure people feel capable and confident in their ability to manage mental health symptoms or the effects of substance use disorder (SUD). Stress management and stress reduction often start with therapy or other forms of support.
Individuals with high levels of stress may benefit from the following strategies:
- Breathwork
- Meditation
- Staying physically active
- Maintaining positive social connections
- Practicing regular self-care
- Engaging in therapy or other treatments
Everyone has unique needs and personal preferences. Most people collaborate closely with their care teams and families to create routines and build skills to reduce stress.
How Does The Guest House Help Clients Manage Stress?
The Guest House offers compassionate and professional care for individuals experiencing chronic stress or emotional distress. Clinicians work with clients and their loved ones to determine how to best facilitate stress reduction and management.
Some of the evidence-based and complementary services offered at The Guest House include:
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
- Attachment work
- Group process therapy
- Individual therapy
- Transformational breathwork
- Yoga
- Art therapy
- Psychodrama
- Brainspotting
You can benefit from taking advantage of professional treatment programs and support services.
Maintaining Stress Management
After completing treatment for substance abuse or mental health disorders, people still need to maintain routines that facilitate stress management. Those who fail to prioritize stress management may backslide into old patterns of thought or behavior. Relapse is a common side effect of unmanaged stress. To decrease your risk of relapse, use the tools provided in therapy to maintain stress reduction.
Practicing self-care, using the resources you have gathered, and utilizing your support network will provide you with the support, accountability, and motivation you need to maintain positive mental health. The Guest House can give you the information and guidance you need to develop healthy strategies for decreasing stress in different areas of your life. Following through with relapse stress reduction strategies and aftercare planning will help you recover more quickly from the effects of substance abuse and mental health disorders.
Chronic stress is a significant risk factor for the development of substance abuse. In addition, stress is one of the most common causes of relapse for individuals with substance abuse and mental health disorders. Relapse prevention involves creating a healthy lifestyle and reducing stress using coping skills. Professional treatment programs provide clients with the ability to develop a toolkit for managing stress. The Guest House uses evidence-based and a wide range of holistic therapies to help clients create effective strategies for reducing stress and managing daily stressors. To learn more about our treatment programs and how we help people heal from the effects of chronic stress, call our office today at (855) 483-7800.