Anxiety and 5 Little Strategies for Prevention
Most people use drug and alcohol as a coping strategy for the stresses of life. When you suffer from anxiety, you need to be able to find more effective coping strategies and ways to control your anxiety in order to cut down on the desire to revert back to your old habits. To help you with that process, here are several strategies for coping with it.
Preventing Relapse with Anxiety Coping Strategies
- Factor in Minor Triggers
When most people think of anxiety causes, they focus on the larger issues like a breakup, a death in the family, job stress, etc. But on the road to recovery, it’s often the smaller triggers you need to account for. Watching horror movies, for example, may sound like an interesting idea, but the little bit of anxiety you get after watching the movie can add up with other life stresses, and ultimately make your anxiety feel more overwhelming. Any little thing that causes fear should be avoided, especially early in your recovery.
- Find Positive, Optimistic People
Positivity is an important step toward remaining anxiety free and experiencing social support from those around you. Your old friends, your workplace – even your family – if they are negative people that don’t seek out happiness and positivity in their own lives, you may need to cut ties and focus on finding those that will promote better wellness.
- Staying Physically Active
Exercising is a shockingly effective and an important reduction technique, and an important part of drug recovery. Just 10 to 15 minutes of running can relax your entire body, and maintaining good health helps reduce some of the feelings that may trigger a relapse. You can also consider playing more sports with your friends or strangers, as this puts you in a social and productive situation with some friendly competition and a goal – all of which are useful for both anxiety and recovery.
- Developing an Anxiety Coping System
You should also consider developing a method of coping that you can do immediately if you feel any anxiety or stress in your life. One idea is to create a space in your home that’s 100% designed for relaxation – a space that is drug free, technology free, and distraction free. Any time you feel any level of anxiety, acknowledge it and go directly to your coping space. If you don’t have room in your home, finding a location (park, backyard, etc.) that offers the same type of relaxation and go there immediately.
- Create Network
When you’re in recovery, you often have a sponsor or someone you call when you’re worried about relapse. Develop something similar for your anxiety, because it can lead to relapse if it is not coped with effectively. Make sure you have backup people to call if you feel yourself getting anxious so that there is always someone available and make sure those people are positive and ready to help you no matter the time or day. There may be no such thing as a cure for this condition, but having people around to contact can go a long way toward reducing the effects of stress on your mind and body.
Dealing with this condition to Prevent Drug Relapse
Anxiety on its own may not promote a relapse. Yet, it isn’t controlled can add up, creating stress that pushes you toward your previous, unhealthy coping strategy. If you’re experiencing severe anxiety you should seek out immediate help, calling a therapist and making sure this condition doesn’t make you do something you regret. But the little tips above can also be a big help, by preventing the likelihood of experiencing severe tress in life and focusing your attention on activities that are far more productive.
