Stress and Relapse

Mental health and substance use, and abuse are closely intertwined. It is common to use substances as a coping mechanism for many psychological and environmental stressors. For example, "problem drinking" is a leading cause of death among college students.Rice, K. G., & Van Arsdale, A. C. (2010). Perfectionism, perceived stress, drinking to cope, and alcohol-related problems among college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 57(4), 439–450. https://doi-org.williamjames.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/a0020221 Research has shown that exposure to stress and negative events, along with alcohol cues, can increase relapse in alcohol-dependent individuals.Fox, H. C., Bergquist, K. L., Hong, K.-I., & Sinha, R. (2007). Stress-induced and alcohol cue-induced craving in recently abstinent alcohol-dependent individuals. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 31(3), 395–403. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-  0277.2006.00320.x In fact, research has increasingly focused on brain stress and reward systems, as they are altered with chronic alcohol abuse. This may account for the psychological and physiological sensations of "craving." 
Along with stress, impulsivity may be connected to acquisition and escalation of substance abuse.Fox, H. C., Bergquist, K. L., Gu, P., & Sinha, R. (2010). Interactive effects of cumulative stress and impulsivity on alcohol consumption. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 34(8), 1376–1385. Long-term traumatic stress and the trait of impulsivity interact to increase the likelihood of hazardous or dangerous drinking. These qualities may be used to assess the at-risk individuals in a community, which will in turn help to create a more effective intervention. Often, people may recount a night of heavy drinking or substance abuse after a long, stressful day. It is important to keep this in mind, as mental health and substance use may reciprocally affect each other. 
Further Reading
# Sinha R. (2008). Chronic stress, drug use, and vulnerability to addiction. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1141, 105–130
# Sinha R. (2012). How does stress lead to risk of alcohol relapse?. Alcohol research : current reviews, 34(4), 432–440. 
# Sparaco, M., Miele, G., Lavorgna, L., Abbadessa, G., & Bonavita, S. (2022). Association between relapses, stress, and depression in people with multiple sclerosis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Neurological Sciences, 43(5), 2935–2942. 
Category:2000s
Category:Stress