When people think of anxiety and depression, they may not always immediately think of men. Yet men struggle with mental health issues frequently. However, culturally, anxiety in men is often not allowed to be expressed in healthy ways leading to both substance use and other mental health issues. Unfortunately, this high level of stress may also cause a higher risk of addiction. If you struggle with an addiction, you must get the appropriate treatment at our North Carolina treatment center.
Symptoms of Anxiety in Men
Recent studies find that nearly 10 percent (or 16 million) men feel depression every day, with 30 percent of the population having some anxiety in their life. The symptoms of anxiety in men are typically similar to those in women. However, the cultural idea that men must be “tough” or stoic often makes it harder for them to handle these emotions. Many don’t realize that anxiety has taken over their life until they suffer a devastating panic attack. As a result, it is critical to know how to spot your symptoms of stress if you’re worried about it impacting you:
- Difficulties with relationships, including work concerns
- Troubles sleeping at the end of the day
- A racing heart that doesn’t want to slow down
- Problems with muscle tensions that make chiropractic care necessary
- Dizziness and vertigo that peaks when anxiety is at its highest
- Restless and agitation that may lead to violence and aggression
- Shortness of breath that may be troubling in light of Covid-19
- An urge to abuse alcohol or drugs
This last point is one of the most devastating concerns connected to anxiety in men. Simply put, many use substances because they believe that they manage anxiety symptoms. However, anxiety symptoms are not bettered by drug abuse and are often worsened. As a result, it is essential to understand more about this factor to ensure that you don’t get into any addictive patterns of behavior.
How Anxiety Leads to Addiction
Anxiety in men often causes addiction if a person tries to cope with these emotions through drug use. For example, alcohol may seem to calm the nerves of many men. However, all it does is mask the underlying disorder that may be causing their anxiety. As a result, they often fall into an addictive pattern that drug abuse worsens and makes it harder for them to overcome. Thankfully, it is possible to get help with this problem with high-quality rehab. These centers understand how addiction and anxiety are connected and will do what they can to help. With the use of various therapy services, the centers can give you relief from both conditions.
Just as importantly, they know how anxiety in men may have different causes than in women and will do what they can to ensure that you don’t run into any difficulties with anxiety management. These steps include working with you on relapse risk, the dangers of worsening emotional troubles, and concerns with the impact that your addiction may have on others in your life.
Ways Rehab Can Help
If anxiety in men is something that concerns you, please reach out to us at Red Oak Recovery. When you contact us at 828.382.9699, you will talk directly with a skilled counselor who will fit you into one of our programs. We understand the complex nature of anxiety and how it can push individuals towards risky decisions like substance use. Our programs strive to give patients the tools they need to identify, cope with, and overcome anxiety as they also work to heal from addiction. Our gender-specific care is suited for men with anxiety, as is our adventure therapy and dual diagnosis treatment program. Please do not hesitate to verify your insurance to learn how to beat addiction.
