Introduction to Stress Relief
In this video, Dr. Mc Caulley is addressing an often overlooked secret to relapse and recovery. Alcoholics and addicts are most vulnerable to stress and this video explains how and why.
Stress is most dangerous when we don’t know we have it.
Drugs, Drug cues and Stress.
Three things cause relapse according to Dr. Kevin Mc Caulley: Drugs, Drug cues and Stress.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlRfq7Js5a4
Our brain’s stress system is called the anti-reward system.
Our brain maintains it’s balance at a “Set Point”. This is just like when our temperature changes when we are sick to keep things in balance.
When our brain re-sets its’ pleasure set point this causes “anhedonia”( pleasure deaf).
Drugs, then, are the only huge system that can give us pleasure.
Consciousness
This is below the level of consciousness. In other words, this is not within our conscious control.
Unless there are other systems in place to alert us that this is going on which are outside of our body, we are likely to relapse.
I’ve written about this here:Â https://www.micheledowney.com/compassion-fatigue/
Many people working in the field of addiction or mental health are subject to this called “compassion fatigue”. This is why the highest rate of relapse are people in recovery working in the field of recovery. They mistake their work with their clients for their own need for ongoing personal work.
Very few people talk about this as the hazards of this kind of work. Please read further about this in the Journal of Addiction Research & Therapy. https://www.omicsonline.org/recovered-addicts-working-in-the-addiction-field-how-do-substance-abuse-treatment-agencies-2155-6105.1000106.php?aid=4
Stress especially coupled with specific holidays, past traumas, certain situations or events, and people can trigger a host of problems.
In conclusion
Stress is extraordinarily important to be monitored continuously by newly recovering and long term recovering alcoholics and addicts as an important part of their self care.