We have to learn to let go of the stress of crisis and survival mode. No matter what put us there, it’s time to disengage. Be here now. Stay aware. React wisely. This is a different time and place. Understand, all of the physiological, psychological, and relational factors of stress during addiction are overwhelming. But, we are not coping with stress when we are in a state of activated fight, flight, and freeze. We are reacting. When unexpected things rear up in our lives, we automatically revert to our most simplistic form of being; survival mode. Understanding the things that we view as crises, and how we most commonly respond to them, is an important step in learning to cope effectively with stress. Usually, things like divorce, trauma, job loss, the death of someone close, or even smaller things propel us into these activated states.
Stress & Response
Stress affects human beings on the cellular level in the form of inflammation and shortness of breath. Addiction, at the very minimum, causes stress and disorganization of mental and physical systems. Internal and external stressors often ‘peak out’ and cause individuals to react with the body’s natural fight or flight response. In the world of substance abuse, stress often threatens survival. In the effort to recover, removing the addictive agents presents its own new set of challenges. Initially, sobriety is a shock to the system. Additionally, instinctual response systems need to be reset. In short, when we’re used to living in crisis and survival modes, regular life seems quite strange. The good news is, once we understand what’s happening, we can begin to dial it back. In this, we refind our center.
Basic Instinct Responses
Humans possess basic instinct responses that we developed for one goal: Survival. However, the longer we adhere to certain states of being or coping skills, the more conditioned we are to them. These basic human survival mechanisms, play key roles throughout recovery. Our first-instinct reactions to crises in the past will set the tone for how we instinctively deal with crises in the future. In other words, we all have an automatic response pattern within our brains that we must learn to work with effectively. Once sober, this pattern needs can become our first clue that it’s time to act on our pre-planned positive coping strategies.
Fight, Flight, & Freeze
- The fight response triggers an adrenaline-driven reaction to meet crises with action and/or opposition.
- In recovery, you learn how to HALT in response to stress tigers such as hunger, anger, loneliness, etc. Instead of acting out immediately, individuals are taught to STOP; stop the reaction, take a step back, observe what’s happening (appraising the actual situation and corresponding feelings, and then make a plan before proceeding.
- Conversely, the flight response propels an individual to run away or reject the crisis entirely.
- While there are many situations in which the flight response is appropriate, an inability to actually target the situation can cause long-term problems. Remove yourself from dangerous situations immediately, no matter what, but make sure that you alter your behavior as to not find yourself in the same situation later on down the road. The flight response is about escaping situations of immediate harm, not avoiding the issues that play into these types of situations.
- The freeze response can cause physical, mental, and emotional immobility.
- This instinctual response often leads to an eventual regression back onto old coping mechanisms. In recovery, the goal is to gain enough comfort with new skills that we condition ourselves to cope in healthy ways instead of reverting back to old behaviors.
Reconditioning
Stress is a part of life, and healthy levels of it can actually be positive for us. You see, stress helps us to problem solve, evolve, and grow. IRL, unusual levels of stress can complicate our plans. The appropriate long-term actions will help us cope with these states. We don’t stay stuck there. The elevated stress of crisis and survival modes are supposed to be temporary. These basic instincts aren’t wrong, it’s just important that we A) Don’t get stuck there, and B) have skills and behaviors to fall back on to help us heal and move forward. In recovery, you learn that not everything that causes you stress is a crisis, and not every situation calls for you to react with a fight, flight, or freeze response. Knowing what we need, and reaching out to get it is important to navigating our vulnerabilities. Mental balance and an aware perspective are 2 of the most effective tools in your recovery toolbox. When facing real-life obstacles, remain aware of your choices. Remember, the best courses of action lead you down a path to resolution, relief, and recovery. For today, choose to be well.
Recovery IS Possible!