COPING OF ANXIETY IN ADDICTIONS

Abstract

In this paper, a cognitive (appraisal and coping), interactive (person x situation interaction) and multidimensional (three response systems) perspective of anxiety, stress and emotions is presented. According to it, anxiety is conceptualized as a negative or unpleasant emotion characterized by subjective distress, high physiological activation, unadapted motor responses; at the same time, anxiety is linked to individual differences in certain situational areas (specific traits). Anxiety reactions appear due to subject perceives that a certain situation seems threating (situation's appraisal), with no apparent solution due to a lack of resources (coping abilities). For somebody, certain consummatory behaviors such as eating, alcohol consumption, smoking, or drug abuse could relieve distress symptoms or reduce physiological activation producing by anxiety. However, such consumption behaviors could become more and more necessary in order to alleviate anxiety symptoms or avoiding the withdrawal, which is a clinical syndrome including intense anxiety manifestations. The possibility to stop the consumption is interpreted as a threatening situation which provokes more anxiety; the only coping response available is to maintain consumption. Regarding addiction treatments, there are significant interactions between type of treatment x type of patient. Anxiety is on of the variables evaluated in order to design more effective treatments matched with the characteristics of the patient.