Key takeaways:
- Stress addiction is when people are constantly in stressful situations despite not wanting to be.
- The brain releases cortisol and adrenaline- pleasure hormones- when the body is stressed.
- Stress has many effects, like headaches, dizziness, stomach pain, anxiety, and panic attacks.
- Signs of stress addiction include inability to say ‘no,’ inability to relax, and physical pain.
- Breaking the cycle requires therapeutic support, mindfulness, and real honesty and self-awareness.
Am I addicted to stress?
If you are constantly stressed, you may wonder: Is this normal, or can you be addicted to stress? Although there are many outside circumstances that can cause stress, there is a condition known as stress addiction. This refers to when people create stress in their lives because they enjoy the perceived benefits that come along with it.
This article will explain what stress addiction is, how you can know whether or not you are addicted to stress, and how to recover from stress addiction. Although stress and addiction may seem like an interesting concept since it does not involve any substances, it is a behavioral addiction that can cause harm just like any other addiction.
What is stress addiction?
Also known as cortisol addiction, stress addiction refers to when a person constantly puts themselves in stressful situations. The reason why stress is addictive is because every time a person finds themselves in a stressful situation, the body picks up on the stress signals and instantly releases cortisol and dopamine in the brain. Both cortisol and dopamine are pleasure hormone that kick in to ‘save the day’ and give the person the energy to overcome the difficult situation. This is also known as adrenaline.
Most people do not enjoy stressful situations and will therefore do everything they can to avoid them. However, because of the hormones that are released, a person may crave a stressful experience again, causing them to seek out other stressful situations or circumstances that allow them to experience the rush of hormones again. This process is entirely subconscious, and the person is usually unaware that they are thriving in the stressful experience.
Why do we get stressed?
As humans, we all engage in stressful situations- usually unwillingly, but sometimes through our own choice. For example, some people enjoy dangerous rides like roller coasters, since the stress and fear make them feel ‘alive’ or energized.
Additionally, many people will knowingly undertake a stressful situation to help a person or for a worthy cause. Another example would be deciding to pursue a degree or training that will cause stress, but will result in a qualification.
In these cases, people are aware that they will experience a certain level of stress, but are willing to engage in it for the short-term, to attain a loftier goal. Stress causes us to act, overcome obstacles, and help us meet deadlines and goals in a morbidly exciting way. Stress is also often used as a distraction, to help us push aside difficult emotions, memories, or experiences.
Signs of addiction to stress:
Here are some cortisol addiction symptoms that can help you identify whether or not you’re dealing with a normal amount of stress - or if you may possibly be addicted to stress:
- Unable to relax - People who are addicted to stress may find it difficult to unwind or relax. They feel a constant urge to do something to feel needed and energized. Relaxing brings them no adrenaline, making it a difficult state of being.
- Constant busyness- If you’re constantly working, running errands, helping other people, or engaging in some form of activity, you may discover that it’s because of an innate need to feel productive and experience stress.
- Inability to say ‘no’- Some people accept every single request for help, every possible project or work assignment, or every opportunity that comes their way. Although saying ‘yes’ is great (within reason), if you can’t say ‘no,’ you may be doing it just to allow yourself to constantly feel stress.
- Living in chaos- People who are addicted to stress may find themselves chronically overwhelmed and living in chaotic conditions. They may feel like they’re being pulled apart in many different directions and unable to get their act together, such as at home and work.
- Urgency- If you find yourself often using phrases like ‘ASAP,’ ‘emergency,’ and ‘urgent’, it can indicate that you are always allowing yourself to land in stressful situations that demand last-minute deadlines and goals.
- Anxiety- Chronically stressed people may feel anxious as they try to meet tight deadlines and resolve stressful situations. They may also feel irritated and overwhelmed more often than not.
- Neglecting responsibilities and self-care- In the quest for more stress, people who are addicted to stress may forget to nurture close relationships or take care of themselves or other responsibilities. They may sleep very little at night, forget to feed their children supper, or never do things that they enjoy.
The effects of chronic stress:
When the body feels stress, it releases cortisol and dopamine to give the person a surge of energy and adrenaline to get through the crisis. At the same time, the body slows down all internal systems that are not vital to achieving the tasks at hand - like the digestive and immune systems.
Below are some of the risks and side effects of constant stress:
- Racing heart or chest pain
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Stomach issues
- Muscles aches
- Insomnia or trouble sleeping
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Depression
- Irritability
- Compromised relationships
Are you addicted to stress? Here’s how you can know:
The best indicators of stress addiction are twofold:
- Practicing the damaging behavior despite wanting to stop, and despite negative consequences
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when quitting the substance or behavior.
Here are some questions to help you figure out whether or not you may be addicted to stress:
- Do you take on projects or goals even when you don’t have the time or energy to complete them?
- Do you find yourself constantly rushing to meet deadlines?
- Are your family and friends complaining that they don’t get to spend time with you, or that you are constantly stressed or preoccupied?
- Do you have a hard time relaxing, unwinding, or falling asleep at night?
- Are you burned out or trying to cut back on your daily schedule but keep finding that you can’t?
- Have you missed important family events, or neglected to take care of your responsibilities, in favor of other projects?
- Do you often find yourself in a whirlwind, trying to accomplish more in a day than you possibly can?
- Do you find yourself constantly in the middle of a drama, whether it’s of your own making or someone else’s?
- Do you have headaches, dizziness, stomach problems, anxiety, depression, irritability, or high blood pressure?
- Are you struggling to find time for basic self-care, like eating, sleeping, exercising, and practicing things that you enjoy?
If you find yourself agreeing with a lot of these statements, it’s worth taking a good look at your relationship with stress, and whether or not you have become addicted to it.
How to break cortisol addiction:
The first step to stopping stress addiction is self-awareness. Finding your tendency to create or get involved in stressful situations can help you understand why your life is unmanageable, and it lets you start the process of recovery. Breaking the cycle of stress addiction needs self-honesty as to what you can and can't handle, and taking a step back on commitments or projects that you physically or emotionally can’t take care of.
The next step would be discovering the root cause of the addictive behavior. Why do you gravitate toward stress? Were you raised in a stressful environment? Are you trying to bury unpleasant emotions or memories? Ask yourself honestly whether or not you want to continue living this way, and how you can set boundaries so you can avoid getting involved in a stressful situation again.
Conclusion:
There are several therapies that can help you recover from stress addiction. You can find an experienced therapist who understands stress addiction and can help you break the cycle. The ACT model (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) is key in helping stress addicts learn new behaviors and break old patterns.
Another great therapeutic tool is mindfulness. Breathwork, meditation, and overall mindfulness can teach you to live in the moment - no matter how hard that may be. Mindfulness forces you to experience and feel your feelings, instead of burying them or distracting yourself with addictive behaviors - breaking the cycle of addiction. Journaling is also a powerful tool to help you process events and keep your focus on recovery.
Beside one-on-one therapeutic support, it is so beneficial to participate in group therapy or a support group geared toward stress addicts. You can share experiences, exchange tools, and discuss how to form new habits and behaviors. The foundation of all recovery tools is real honesty and self-awareness, so you can identify when you’re engaging in addictive behaviors and stop them.