Anxiety can be a healthy response to many situations. It can prompt you to action when you’re in danger or heighten your ability to focus when the stakes are high. However, this same phenomenon can cripple your ability to cope if you have an anxiety disorder. In a desperate attempt to shield themselves from the crippling effects of this emotion, some people come up with their own destructive form of anxiety treatment and self-medicate with alcohol or drugs.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

The most common of all the mental health disorders, anxiety conditions fall into several categories:

• Generalized anxiety disorder: You feel scared, worried or anxious about numerous things on most days
• Social anxiety disorder: You feel an intense fear of being humiliated, embarrassed or criticized in everyday public situations
• Specific phobias: You are so afraid of a particular thing or situation that you will take great pains to avoid it
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder: You experience ongoing intrusive thoughts and fears that cause you to feel anxious. In order to relieve them, you may engage in rituals or behaviors
• Post-traumatic stress disorder: This can happen after you experience or witness an extremely disturbing event such as disaster, war or other types of violence. Symptoms include mood swings, flashbacks, and avoidance of anything having to do with the traumatic event
• Panic disorder: This involves having uncontrollable, overwhelming and intense rushes of anxiety that may be accompanied by physical symptoms like shortness of breath, racing heart, dizziness, and sweating

If you believe that you’re one of the over 18% of Americans who suffer from one of these disorders, you might feel hopeless and isolated. If you’ve used drugs and alcohol as a means of anxiety treatment, your situation might be even more difficult.

Addiction and Anxiety Treatment

Medicating with alcohol or drugs is an understandable but destructive way of insulating yourself against your anxiety-related, debilitating fear. As a matter of fact, the National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that those with anxiety disorders are twice as likely as the general population to develop substance dependence.

Unfortunately, addiction ultimately has the opposite effect on your anxiety, tending to make your symptoms even worse and more paralyzing. Then, to relieve what you feel, you’re compelled to use more alcohol or drugs. Thus, you perpetuate the destructive cycle of addiction.

Anxiety Treatment at Crestview Recovery

If you or someone you care about suffers from an anxiety disorder in addition to an alcohol or drug addiction, reaching out for addiction and anxiety treatment can be difficult. These issues are often hard to admit to and discuss. However, it’s important to confront them. The first step is recognizing that you aren’t alone. There are professionals who recognize the challenges you face and have the training to help you address them.

Crestview Recovery, a drug and alcohol rehab center in Portland Oregon, provides a full array of services to help you or someone you love get to the root causes of addiction and anxiety. Our committed team of professionals will work with you every step of the way toward health and sobriety. In addition, we’ll tailor your treatment plan to your unique needs and goals. When you become a patient at our beautiful Portland facility, you can expect to receive the following comprehensive services:

• Thorough evaluation of your social, medical, physical and addiction history
• Medically supervised detox if needed at our off-site partner facility
• Proven, evidence-based addiction therapy tailored to your needs
• Family support and counseling
• Experiential therapy to promote physical and mental health including skiing, snowboarding and whitewater rafting
• Outpatient and follow-up services

We treat a variety of addictions, including:

• Alcohol addiction
• Heroin addiction
• Cocaine addiction
• Meth addiction

Don’t let addiction and anxiety continue to take over your life. Start your journey back to health and sobriety today by calling the caring and knowledgeable Crestview Recovery professionals at 866-580-4160.