Dependency as an Attempt at Emotional Balance

In the short run, drug or alcohol dependent individuals turn to dependency in an attempt to achieve emotional balance. Whether chemical dependency occurs “to loosen up” in social situations, to cope with a tragedy, stressor or heartbreak, or even as an attempt “to celebrate,” drug and alcohol use is often tied to an emotional need. However, these false attempts to strike emotional equilibrium usually result in only the numbing of emotional need not the resolution.

Dependency as an Attempt at Emotional Balance

Chemical dependency is often an attempt to compensate for the lack of emotional balance we feel internally. Often, we experience a deficiency between our truest emotional needs and the level of peace, self-confidence, trust and healing we seek. When we feel the pain of betrayal, unhealed emotional traumas, disappointments or fears, we experience an emotional imbalance that signals a deeper need. Our misguided attempts to compensate for fear with “liquid courage,” or “unwind” from stress by using drugs often show our silent acknowledgment of an emotional underlying problem that needs treatment.

In fact, studies have shown an association between the risk of alcohol dependency and the heartbreak of separation and divorce, especially among women. Additionally, loss of a loved one can escalate alcohol dependency, with one 1997 study showing higher levels of alcohol consumption as individuals experienced lasting and acute grief symptoms. Emotional tragedy has also been linked to drug and alcohol dependency, with one study finding that half of men and just under two-fifths who enter recovery programs were themselves survivors of sexual abuse.

Achieving Emotional Balance Through Recovery

One of the central aspects of any reputable drug and alcohol recovery program is the achievement of emotional equilibrium through therapy. By healing the underlying “psychic need” that has led us to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol, we can eliminate the drive towards dependency. Through individualized talk therapy and hypnotherapy, negative self-beliefs and traumatic emotional wounds can be resolved in the course of recovery, allowing patients to break free from lives marked by incessant fear, heartbreak, insecurities and emotional pain. Recovery programs also teach dependent individuals coping strategies that enable them to provide for their own emotional needs in a lasting, real way, ensuring that they retain freedom from chemical dependency, as well as foster emotional wellness.

Related posts:

1. Obscuring Emotional Pain With Dependency
2. Grief as an Emotional Root Cause to Dependency
3. Depression and Alcohol Dependency
4. Achieving Homeostasis After Dependency
5. Signs of Emotional Dependency
6. Reasons Dependent Individuals Engage in PolyDrug Use
7. How to Tell If You Have a Chemical Dependency
8. Removing the Shame of Drug and Alcohol Dependency
9. Signs of Buried Emotional Pain
10. The Relationship Between PTSD and Dependency
11. Emotional Dependency vs Healthy Intimacy
12. Healthy Ways to Express Emotional Pain
13. Mental Disorders Marked by Dependency
14. Types of Denial in Dependency
15. Low Self Esteem as a Root Cause for Dependency
16. Shame as a Root Cause for Chemical Dependency
17. Chemical Dependency and the Teen Years
18. Hazards of Unresolved Emotional Pain
19. Creating a Life With Balance After Recovery
20. Understanding the Reasons for Withdrawal