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.
PHOTO CREDIT: heartmanblog.com
Sunday Scaries By Victoria Mooncotch
The Sunday Scaries are a relatively new brand of anxiety developing in young adults after the freedom of the weekend. Usually coupled with a hangover and lack of memory from the night before, millennials fuel the Scaries with anxiety about the upcoming week questioning: “What am I even doing with my life?” Like clockwork the first day of the week causes an uproar in online posts that are paired with funny memes or gifs, creating a slight confusion on whether The Scaries are just a comical social media fad or if they should be listed in the DSM-5. Bukowski, a poet widely known for being extremely pessimistic, might have gotten something right when he said “Sundays kill more men than bombs” with this one. If the overindulging causes strife and worry perhaps individual therapy can help curb your alcohol induced anxiety. The joy can stay in Sunday Funday!
Psychology Today online cites anxiety as “anticipating disaster, often worrying excessively about health, money, family, or work. Sometimes, just the thought of getting through the day.” Sounds similar, doesn’t it? The Sunday Scaries are the anticipation of the week to come that is infiltrated with worry, irrational curiosity, and an inability to complete ordinary tasks. This brand of severe anxiety even robs you of your ability to focus. Grandex Labs, who has a once a week podcast on the topic, has described the feeling as “Knowing you can do everything right, but still having a dark cloud of ‘What the hell is going on’ hanging over your head.” This can lead to some major questioning of individual happiness. The key to answering those major questions might just be to outline the difference between anticipation and anxiety. When you lead with anticipation you’re ready to take the Sunday bull by the horns, but when you lead with anxiety you’ll sow self-doubt into everything you do. Again, talking in counseling helps to not only lift your mood but also your self-esteem.
While it might be easier to hide raw emotions behind a funny meme, it’s time to get serious on how we deal with anxiety. Anxiety disorders affect 40 million adults in the U.S., yet less than 40% receive individual counseling (ADAA). Not to mention a hard night of binge drinking doesn’t really help the issue either. If you are having a hard time identifying what leads you to happiness or a path for knowing what is actually going on, it’s time to seek help! Individual therapy gives you someone on the outside of it all who will help you explore and answer all of those irrational questions Sunday makes you ask. You won’t only feel that dark cloud of the unknown start to dissipate, you’ll also uncover and get through what all that anxiety is really about. Although there may be comfort in knowing you’re not the only one online having a case of the Sunday Scaries, you won’t be alone in facing them with a therapist either. See, Sunday isn’t so scary after all. Dr. Goschi can help call to schedule a meeting at (312)595-1787 or email her at barbara@drgoschi.com
Dealing with loss in the New Year
Having lost someone in 2017 shapes the way we view the New Year. We view everything through the lense of loss. Rather than looking forward to upcoming events we see these functions as sorrowful, even meaningless. “It’s the first celebration without them.” Which, of course, diminishes the occasion.
Feelings of sadness, anger, denial, isolation and sometimes guilt rule our days. While experiencing these painful emotions can help us move through the grief process we need appropriate outlets so we don’t get stuck in any one of these stages (Kubler-Ross, 1969). We want to eventually get to a place of acceptance so we can heal and once again tolerate positive emotions. Guilt over feeling happy can interfere with our receptivity to love and support from others. Try to open yourself to others kind works and gestures of love.
Normalizing your life helps you get beyond the grief. Fill your life with plenty of positive activities. Partaking in exercise, work, dinners with family move us forward. Look for those situations that allow you to find balance between felling, self-expression and acceptance. If we dwell only on the loss this keeps us stuck in the process of grieving.
Allow yourself to feel. We move through various emotions while grieving. Not surprisingly we feel sad one day and perhaps angry the next. Embrace the fact that while grieving we feel many complex emotions which constantly fluctuate.
Don’t hesitate to call friends who can offer an empathic ear. People worry that reaching out too often will burden their relationships. True intimate relationships have a large capacity for love and empathy. If you experience rejection when attempting to reach out then you probably need to assess the health of your friendships.
Lastly, be kind to yourself in 2018. You will find your way out of the emotional fog. Be patient it takes time to heal. If you need more help don’t hesitate to call! Dr. Goschi is here to help (312)595-1787.
