Effective Emotional Self-Management in Substance Use Disorders

Understanding Emotional Regulation and Addictive Behaviors

If you or a loved one has drug and alcohol dependence, then you have probably had a first-row seat to a fast-paced show, complete with a vast range of intense emotions. You realize from these experiences and interactions that emotional self-management in substance use disorders is almost non-existent without proper, professional support. That statement does not mean that you judge the person for their substance abuse. Nor do you love them any less.

However, it implies that you probably find their emotional responses and intense mood swings somewhat overwhelming. You have probably found this page because you are looking for a deeper understanding of their behavior as well as recovery resources.

Here at Icarus Behavioral Health, with locations in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho, New Mexico, we recognized that someone with drug or alcohol addiction has often turned to substances to cope with trauma or an underlying mental health condition. They are unable to regulate emotions effectively because of those co-occurring disorders.

Icarus offers Joint Commission-accredited addiction treatment and mental health treatment programs and can teach your loved one the tools to manage intense emotions effectively while healing their addiction.

We invite you to read and learn how our integrated treatment approach can help with substance abuse and appropriate emotional expression simultaneously.

Substance Use Disorders Can Form a Mental Health Crisis

Mental health professionals recognize Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) as diagnosable, highly complex mental health conditions. They are not a choice – nobody chooses participation in addiction, it takes over when our body and brains are changed by alcohol or other substances.

The symptoms include:

• An inability to control substance use
• Desire to cut back or quit but unable to
• Spending much time obtaining, using, or recovering from alcohol or drug abuse
• Cravings
• Declines in mental, emotional, or physical health
• Neglecting family or work responsibilities or commitments

Alcohol and drug addiction is widespread and impacts millions around the world. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that about 21.2 million Americans needed help for a drug or alcohol use disorder in 2019.

Besides the loss of emotional regulation, people who struggle with SUDs often face severe health consequences and declines in overall well-being. These can include liver disease, heart problems, mental illness, and infectious disease. Drug and alcohol abuse are concerns that impact the person, work and interpersonal relationships, and entire communities.

An integrated treatment approach that will manage all facets of the person’s well-being is crucial to staying clean and sober.

The Science Behind Emotional Regulation

Emotional regulation relies on several complex processes in several regions of the brain. The brain and its pathways work together to manage emotions. These are the brain centers involved in emotional well-being:

• Prefrontal cortex: This part of the brain contributes to making good decisions and manages impulse control. It also provides social support, helping cue your responses to others. It’s key to enhancing emotional well-being.
• Amygdala: This brain region interprets and responds to emotional input. It plays an especially crucial part in fear and anxiety responses and emotional stability.
• Anterior cingulate cortex: This part connects cognition and emotional information. It helps you sort out facts from feelings, improving emotional balance. This brain region is known for supporting emotional intelligence.

People cannot effectively manage their emotions after alcohol or drug use has interrupted these typical brain functions.

The Role Emotional Regulation Plays in Addiction

Emotion regulation refers to a person’s ability to manage and respond appropriately to emotional experiences. The idea combines recognizing, understanding, and expressing emotions effectively. It also includes developing coping skills to handle emotional distress.

People who have substance abuse problems usually struggle with emotional dysregulation or the inability to cope with any negative emotions. Even minor stress or sadness can throw them into a tailspin, leading to the use of drugs or alcohol instead. For those with anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, or other similar conditions, the desire to self-medicate is even more intense.

Unfortunately, this cycle grows vicious, with the drug of choice or alcohol misuse providing short-lived relief. In turn, it increases dependence and makes the lack of emotional regulation even more pronounced.

Icarus NM Takes a Holistic Approach to Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment

We help clients overcome the challenges related to emotional dysregulation and alcohol or drug addiction. We believe that the recovery process must do more than end the use of substances. Instead, it must resolve the inner conflicts that led to drug or alcohol misuse in the first place.

Identifying Emotional Triggers in Substance Abuse Treatment

Emotional triggers are internal cues – you might consider them alarm bells. They cause an emotional response, often leading to substance abuse. The most common triggers for substance abuse are the following:

• Stress
• Anxiety disorders
• Depression
• Anger
• Trauma
• Loneliness

When emotional well-being declines in response to the triggers, people use drugs or alcohol to escape from the feelings. With repeated use, the brain’s reward system starts to perceive alcohol and drugs as a reward, making it hard to quit.

Because of the “rewiring” of the brain, substance abuse treatment requires professional therapeutic interventions to restore emotional stability.

Icarus New Mexico treatment professionals use evidence-based treatments to disrupt and change negative thought patterns. We also teach clients to manage stress and triggers.

Co-occurring Disorders and Addictive Behaviors

As mentioned earlier, we often see a co-occurrence of mental illness and alcohol or drug abuse. You might also hear this term called dual diagnosis.

Those who have a mental health diagnosis are at a higher risk of developing addictive behaviors. Conversely, those who have a substance use disorder are likelier to have a mental illness. Some of the common co-occurrences we treat are the following:

• Bipolar and depressive symptoms
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma
• Panic or anxiety disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Complete emotional healing and a life free of addiction means top treatment centers like Icarus will treat both the SUD and the other mental illnesses simultaneously. Without treating both, the risk factors for worsening symptoms will continue.

Effective Therapy in a Supportive Environment

Psychotherapy with licensed professionals is crucial to the recovery process. At Icarus, you will work with our counselors in individual, group therapy, and family therapy settings. This well-rounded approach will be customized to suit your needs. Some of the therapies you might experience are:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy helps people with the negative thoughts that lead to using drugs and drinking, then challenges and changes them. This approach helps develop coping skills and relies on problem-solving skills. It increases emotional resilience and is often used because of its effectiveness.

An example of this is ‘Trina,’ who came to Icarus New Mexico with alcohol addiction and severe anxiety. With CBT, Trina learned to identify the negative thoughts that caused her to crave alcohol. After she learned to replace the thoughts with healthier ones, her anxiety decreased. Trina has built a stable, sober life for herself and her two young daughters.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

DBT combines CBT with mindfulness techniques. Initially a treatment for borderline personality disorder, it is also helpful for increasing distress tolerance, regulating emotions, and improving communication skills and relationships. It focuses on balancing acceptance and change to support effective coping strategies.

‘Michael’ arrived at Icarus NM for help with an opioid addiction and difficulty managing his emotions. He often used drugs, especially fentanyl, a very dangerous coping mechanism, whenever he felt overwhelmed by life. During dialectical behavior therapy, Michael developed better emotional regulation skills and stress-coping tools. Once equipped with healthy coping mechanisms, Michael was able to restore his relationship with his family members, who had been fearful of his frequent emotional outbursts during active addiction.

Motivational Interviewing (MI)

MI supports a person’s motivation to engage with the addiction recovery process when they are undecided or uncertain about it. It discusses the person’s ambivalence about recovery and explores their reasons and motivation to start or maintain a recovery journey. The therapist and client form a collaborative relationship, building self-esteem for the client.

‘Cat’ wasn’t sure if she was ready to say goodbye to her drug addiction. For years, her stimulant abuse had given her an edge in her job, allowing her to get more work done. Then again, she feared she’d become a poor role model for her children. Using MI, Cat’s therapist helped her discover her personal motivations, such as having a great relationship with her kids and continuing to excel at work. With newfound clarity, Cat got clean and sober.

Mindfulness Meditation Training

Mindfulness meditation practices help clients focus on the present moment with clarity and remain free of self-judgment. They help them observe their thoughts and feelings (good or bad) without allowing themselves to become overwhelmed. This practice supports relaxation, reduces stress, and helps clients process emotions healthily.

‘Bo’ dealt with intense cravings and anxiety in his first days after he quit drinking. He came to Icarus New Mexico after co-workers had complained to his manager about his unusually passive-aggressive behavior. In therapy, Bo mastered mindfulness and has learned to observe his cravings without acting on them. He returned to work with a great deal of personal growth under his belt and is now a better employee and colleague.

Deep Breathing Exercises

Mastering deep breathing can reduce stress and create peace of mind. Taking slow, controlled, deep breaths unleashes the body’s natural relaxation response. Clients can use this tool anytime, anywhere. This technique is effective from early recovery through maintenance and long-term sobriety.

‘Kendra’ had panic attacks that she’d learned to numb by abusing alcohol. The counselors at Icarus NM taught her deep breathing exercises – healthy coping mechanisms that replaced drinking. Using the deep breathing strategy, Kendra now has more emotional awareness and can calm her mind as a prevention tool when she feels an oncoming panic attack.

Aftercare Planning and Preventing Relapse

What happens after the daily cognitive behavioral therapy and individual therapy ends? The addiction recovery journey continues – with the client ready to play a greater role in their overall well-being. The tools learned at the recovery center have played a crucial role to gain insight into their behaviors. They can now effectively manage their day with the help of a supportive environment.

Before leaving our addiction treatment center, we help clients establish a personalized aftercare plan. Here are some of the most frequent components:

Setting Attainable Goals

After therapy ends, the hard work of recovery is really just beginning. Clients benefit from setting realistic, measurable, and achievable goals. Having something to work toward provides a sense of direction and motivation. Clients start to focus on positive outcomes and reaching milestones.

They can track progress and celebrate small successes along the way, which helps them stay committed. Some personalized goals we often see clients planning include staying sober, improving their physical well-being, achieving career or job milestones, or restoring relationships in recovery.

Contingency Management

Contingency management rewards clients for meeting certain recovery milestones. That can be going to weekly support meetings, attending therapy, or weekly/monthly sobriety. Rewards are small but meaningful, such as a small gift card or a certificate of recognition. These incentives help clients adhere to aftercare plans. While CM is most common in a clinical setting, family members and loved ones can also use it to show support to someone who has completed formal addiction treatment.

Actively Seeking Personal Growth

Clients cannot return to the places, people, or activities that they associate with drug or alcohol use. That means most people need to pursue new personal growth activities that can enhance their lives. Some activities might include taking classes, volunteering, or trying a new hobby. The key is to find activities that promote emotional well-being and don’t cause those old negative emotions to flare up.

Attending Support Groups to Continue Building Resilience

Participating in local resources, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA meetings), Narcotics Anonymous (NA Meetings), or SMART Recovery groups, is critical for emotional regulation after formal addiction treatment ends. At these sessions, you learn from peers who understand firsthand the struggles you will continue to face. You’ll continue discovering new ways to cope with negative emotions as they arise. Weekly attendance is free; groups are available either in person or online.

Connect With Icarus for Emotional Regulation and Recovery Support

The emotional consequences of addiction can do untold damage to the person struggling and their family, friends, and colleagues. If your loved one can’t manage emotions because of an addiction, know that you are not alone – nor are they.

Emotional regulation is a skill like any other. If you don’t use it, it dulls. But it can be re-honed with professional treatment at Icarus New Mexico. Our team strives to provide effective treatment that will help end addiction and restore emotional intelligence.

We work with most private and group health insurance plans, including some forms of Turquoise Care and military insurances like TRICARE. We’ll even call your insurance carrier on behalf of you or your loved one to ensure all treatment receives the necessary pre-authorizations. When you call our insurance team, we will always aim to obtain treatment for you at the lowest possible cost.

If you are ready for help, make the confidential call to the Icarus NM admissions team today. We are here to help your loved one choose sobriety.