The Link Between Stress, Burnout, and Addictive Behaviours… And What You Can Do About It

Stress and burnout aren’t unique to modern society, but they’re certainly on the rise.

We all need coping mechanisms for the stress we face, and unfortunately, addictive behaviours are one of them.

So let’s look at the differences between chronic stress and burnout, and how you can respond to these challenges in a way that lowers your risk of addiction.

Understanding Stress and Burnout

Modern life can feel relentless, with its lengthy commutes, demanding admin, and divisive politics. In many ways, it’s the perfect storm for stress and burnout.

So, what counts as stress or burnout, and what’s the difference between the two.

Stress

Definition: “the body’s reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure” Stress comes in many different forms.

Short-term stress (also known as acute stress) is our body’s reaction to temporary stressors. We enter “fight or flight” mode, as adrenaline takes over, making our heart race. Chronic stress is another type of stress. It occurs when the stressor is present for a long period of time. Being under chronic stress can significantly impact your physical and mental health.

Symptoms of chronic stress:

● Insomnia
● Poor concentration
● Immune system dysfunction
● Racing thoughts
● High blood pressure
● Digestive issues
● Loss of appetite
● Fatigue

Burnout

Burnout: “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not
been successfully managed” While the concept of burnout stemmed from the workplace, it’s now used as a general term to describe chronic stress that has severely impacted someone’s wellbeing.

Symptoms of burnout:

Some symptoms of burnout overlap with chronic stress symptoms. This is because burnout is
simply the state someone is in as a result of chronic stress.

Common symptoms are:

● Decreased productivity
● Physical exhaustion
● Emotional detachment
● Self-isolation
● Cynicism
● High anxiety levels

Stress vs burnout

Both stress and burnout can cause physical and mental health symptoms, but burnout is more likely to create severe emotional issues, such as someone believing there is no point to anything in life.

The main differences between stress and burnout are:

● Everyone experiences stress at some point in their life
● Some stress can be a helpful motivator
● Stress leads to tiredness, whereas burnout leads to complete exhaustion
● Stress may come and go, but burnout doesn’t tend to resolve itself without action

This doesn’t mean stress should be ignored. Anything that affects your wellbeing should be taken seriously, particularly because it may progress into burnout if nothing changes. The stage when stress becomes chronic is also closely linked to addiction. It’s a time when people turn to coping mechanisms, some healthy, some unhealthy. One of the many go-to coping mechanisms is substance use.

Stress, Burnout and Addiction: The Infamous Cycle

The more stressors in our life, the higher our risk of developing an addiction. But why? When we’re chronically stressed, we may start to crave an escape from the persistent negative feelings. We know that being under the influence changes how we feel, perhaps making us feel calm and relaxed, or maybe euphoric.

Substances are seen as a quick fix. When we have those uppers we’ll finally escape our situation, finally feel like ourselves again. The problem is that substances don’t fix anything, and they very often make things worse.

The “high” is temporary, and is followed by a crash, leaving us feeling worse than before. Dependence builds, and we soon realise we’re relying on drugs to cope, which is the start of addiction.

Eventually, we may be unable to live our lives without constantly thinking about substances, and finding creative ways to access them, to the detriment of ourselves and our loved ones. Using substances to cope with stress or burnout is a quick way to end up in addiction treatment, such as alcohol rehab, where anxiety and other mental health issues can be treated.

It’s vital to be aware of the warning signs, so you can spot risks in yourself and others before
an addiction develops:

● High tolerance
● Withdrawal from relationships
● Denial (of drug use, or of the consequences of drug use)
● Mood swings
● Exhaustion
● Cravings
● Emotional numbness

Help is available for people at any stage of dependence and addiction, in the form of your GP, outpatient services, 12-step groups, inpatient rehab, sober coaching, and more. The earlier you reach out for help, the better your chances of getting sober.

How to Avoid the Stress to Addiction Pipeline

If you understand the link between stress and substance use, you’re already at an advantage. Now, it’s time to consider your coping mechanisms, and adopt healthy strategies to deal with your stress. First and foremost, we’d recommend seeking professional help. Talking through your stress with a qualified therapist or counsellor gives your thoughts a healthy escape route. Instead of spiralling within your mind, they are released into a safe space, where you can receive appropriate guidance.

There are also small steps you can take, starting from right now. Preventing burnout, or coping with burnout, can’t be done unless you take a look at how you’re living your life, and how you could improve this. Think about:

Mental health
 Are you allowing yourself to feel your emotions?
 Do you have clear boundaries for yourself and those around you?
 Is mindfulness a key part of your day?

Physical health
 How often are you moving?
 Are you getting enough sleep?
 What’s your diet like?

Social life
 Do you have a support system?
 When was the last time you asked someone for help?
 Have you spoken to anyone who’s dealt with similar challenges to you? (e.g., in a support group)

These questions aren’t supposed to add pressure. No one is living a perfectly healthy life, and even people with seemingly healthy lives can fall into addiction for other reasons. The point is to recognise that small changes in these areas of life can reduce your addiction risk.

If it feels too overwhelming to assess your lifestyle just yet, try just one small change today, such as:

● Making sure you get out of the house at least once every day
● Aiming to sleep for one hour longer than usual
● Trying one mindfulness exercise
● Practising sitting with your feelings for one minute

So, stress leads to chronic stress, chronic stress leads to burnout, and burnout leads to addiction. It doesn’t have to be that way.

At every stage, there are warning signs. We must pay attention to any signs that we’re under stress, burnt out, or becoming dependent on substances. It’s information we can use to reassess our lifestyle, introduce healthy coping mechanisms,