Stress, Pot and Addiction
New research in the journal of Abnormal Psychology (May, 2018) highlights how heavy marijuana users deal with stress. Chronic pot smoking leads to an overreaction to stressful situations. Research found that these individuals easily became stressed and unable to problem solve versus moderate consumers. Most pot smokers say they smoke pot to “relax” or escape a stressful job. Perhaps recreational marijuana consumption leads to relaxation but not habitual heavy use.
Researchers Hefner et al from University of Wisconsin in Madison found heightened startle responses to even the anticipation of stress among heavy marijuana users. Heavy pot usage involved daily use sometimes as much as twice a day. This finding contradicts self-reports from fifty percent of pot users that claim marijuana reduces their stress. Why is this important? Because, addiction relapse for many addicts can be traced to the person’s inability to manage stress.
Hefner et al reported physiological responses in abusers. They claim “heavy and chronic (marijuana) use contributes to heightened behavioral and affective response(s) to stressors via central nervous system…” Indeed, these “stress neuroadaptations” result in poor emotional reactions to stress. Maladaptive responses escalate even more when the individual stops using the drug. Heavy marijuana abuse leads to long term changes in the users central nervous system. This implies that the addict won’t cope well with stress going forward until they make some serious and lasting changes to their lives.
The research supports using the word addict to describe the heavy marijuana abuser as they show signs of addiction. Many debates insist that marijuana does not possess addictive properties. Yet, withdrawal from pot shares many similarities to other addictions, “marijuana withdrawal syndrome … involves increased affective symptoms (irritability, anger or aggression, nervousness or anxiety)…” It becomes a viscous cycle for the abuser, one of an inability to cope with stress leading to mounting stress resulting in increased drug usage. Minimal indulgence in marijuana (only occasional use), did not show greater reactivity to stress.
How can individual therapy help the marijuana abuser/addict? Therapists should help the individual identify personal stressors. These events may involve finances, housing and/or relationships. Therapy should target these stressors by teaching better coping skills to minimize the impact of the stressor. Individual addiction therapy helps individuals “reshape” their environment while maximizing lifes predictability. Attending NA meetings and working the 12 steps is enormously beneficial in maintaining sobriety. Individual therapy assists the individual work through fears and anxiety which trigger the addictive response.
If you are struggling with addiction Dr. Goschi can help. Call today to set up your individual appointment at (312)595-1787 or email at barbara@drgoschi.com.