Oftentimes when someone is dealing with a substance use disorder, they may very well be dealing with another mental health disorder. Mood and anxiety disorders are common in people dealing with substance use. Having a substance use disorder while also having depression or anxiety would qualify as having a co-occurring disorder. These dual diagnoses are intertwined. Someone may have started using a substance to mask the symptoms of another illness they are dealing with. It is important to diagnose and treat both disorders that the person is dealing with. Here at Pinnacle Recovery, we have four unique dual diagnosis programs: (1) Anxiety and addiction, (2) Bipolar disorder and addiction, (3) Depression and addiction, and (4) PTSD and addiction. When dealing with these very real disorders, reaching out for drugs or alcohol may seem like a viable option to mask the pain. Throughout our programs, we aim to give you healthy coping skills that you can use in times of crisis, instead of reaching for drugs or alcohol.
Although you may have used drugs or alcohol in the past to cope with your feelings, Pinnacle Recovery is here to give you healthy coping skills that will get you through the stressful situations. Sometimes those unhealthy coping skills will give you the quick fix, but it won’t be beneficial in the long run. When thinking about healthy coping skills, there are two main types of coping skills you can employ: problem-based and emotion-based coping skills.
Problem-based coping skills: Problem-based coping skills are mainly used when you are in a stressful situation and you need to change the stressful situation. By challenging the stressful situation and removing it, you are able to lessen the stress that you are feeling.
Some examples of problem-based coping skills:
- Establishing healthy boundaries
- Physically leaving the situation
- Managing your time better
- Problem solving
Emotion-based coping skills: Emotion-based coping skills are usually used when you need to console your feelings during a stressful situation. Oftentimes, you cannot change your situation like you can do in problem-based situations, so you focus on distracting yourself to relieve the stressors.
Some examples of emotion-based coping skills:
- Meditating
- Reading a book
- Exercising
- Art therapy
Pinnacle Recovery is here for you when you are having trouble dealing with stressors. You may not think there is another way to deal with your emotions than using, but we are here to give you healthy coping skills so that you can be successful in your sobriety. If you have any questions about our programs, our staff is more than happy to help you. Call us today at 1-866-301-0573. We cannot wait to hear from you.
