Stress is a word many people throw around casually. Many do not realize its very real physical and mental ramifications. Stress is no excuse for addiction, but it can contribute to it. If you or someone you care about is struggling with addiction and can’t seem to escape the cycle of use, there is help for alcoholics and methodologies for reducing stress and halting the cycle.
Neurosculpting® is a brain training protocol that involves a multi-step meditation process that helps people to heal past trauma, rewrite limiting beliefs, and find wholeness. This method is effective and popular among those who try it because once trained, the protocol can be done as needed in any location.
How might self-directed neuroplasticity help with addiction?
First, understand the connection between stress and addiction. Humans are programmed to seek pleasure and ritual. This kept our ancestors alive because the daily ritual of hunting or finding food caused dopamine (the pleasure hormone) levels to rise when they succeeded, according to researchers. Today, we often find these dopamine hits from things that are not sustainable.
Humans often lack healthy outlets for stress as well as the equipment to deal properly with trauma from the past. This increases the chances for many to turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism because that first drink produced an ability to de-stress. In a study done on the topic, results showed that the earlier in life someone first uses a substance, the more likely they are to grow dependent on it to reduce their increased fight or flight mechanisms.
We are all biological machines that run on hormones and stress can cause some serious hormones to course through our body that cause physical and mental symptoms. Wanting relief from the anxiety, fear, depression, pain, and other symptoms caused by stress can lead to seeking a fast fix. A better alternative is to address the stressor and do the work internally to heal from past trauma. Nothing is simple, but dealing with stress in a new way can be beneficial. The effects of stress on the body are long-lasting. It’s linked to depression, weight gain, and even heartburn. This is because the body’s systems are all interrelated.
According to scientist, Rajta Sihna, stress can increase the likelihood of addiction. However, researchers are just beginning to fully understand the mechanics of the brain that connect stress to addiction. Your body adapts to elevated stress hormones and all their negative physical and mental manifestations. Because substance use can sometimes provide relief, some partake.
It is important to remember when we discuss stress that we are not simply talking about the daily stress of living. Past trauma can affect the body and brain until it’s worked out through theraputic approaches in addition to methods such as Neurosculpting®.
The human body and brain are indescribably complex and awesome. Neurosculpting® has helped those who were paralyzed to find movement through meditation and brain-mapping work. The protocol may help those who are stressed, anxious, or seeking to rewrite old patterns in their lives.
Patrick Bailey
Patrick Bailey is a professional writer mainly in the fields of mental health, addiction, and living in recovery. He attempts to stay on top of the latest news in the addiction and the mental health world and enjoy writing about these topics to break the stigma associated with them.
