Addiction and Anxiety Treatment · Costa Rica Treatment Center
When anxiety drives the using and using drives the anxiety, both need to be treated
Anxiety and addiction are one of the most common co-occurring combinations. Each makes the other worse. At CRTC we treat both simultaneously because treating one without the other rarely leads to lasting recovery.
We have seen this combination more than almost any other
It often starts with anxiety that felt unmanageable. A drink to take the edge off. A substance that quieted the noise in the mind or made social situations feel possible. And then at some point the substance stopped working as well as it once did, the anxiety came back worse, and the dependency was in place.
Many people arrive at CRTC having tried to manage anxiety with substances for years without fully understanding what was happening. The shame is heavy. The exhaustion is real. And the idea that both can actually be addressed at the same time can feel almost too good to be true.
It is not. This is precisely what we are built to treat.
What is happening
Anxiety and addiction reinforce each other. That is why one treatment is not enough.
Treating both means addressing the neurological, psychological and behavioral dimensions of each at once.
Treat only the anxiety
When anxiety is treated without addressing the addiction, the substance remains the primary coping mechanism. The anxiety may reduce temporarily but the dependency continues.
Treat only the addiction
When addiction is treated without addressing the anxiety, the person stops using but continues to experience the overwhelming anxiety that drove the use. Without a substance to manage it the risk of relapse is very high.
Treat both at once
Treating both simultaneously means addressing the neurological, psychological and behavioral dimensions of both conditions at the same time. Our team is specifically equipped for this.
You have been watching someone you love manage anxiety with substances, probably for longer than they have admitted to themselves. You know something is wrong but the conversation has never quite happened. We are here.
You are here for yourself. You know the anxiety and the using are connected. You may have tried to address one without the other and found it did not work. That is exactly what brings people to CRTC.
A therapeutic approach built for this specific combination
Anxiety and addiction respond to specific clinical tools.
Every treatment plan at CRTC is built from a thorough individual evaluation. The specific combination of approaches used with each client reflects what the team learns about that person specifically.
The clinical work
What each tool does
CBT is highly effective for anxiety, helping clients identify and restructure the thought patterns that fuel anxious responses.
DBT provides practical skills for tolerating distress without reaching for a substance.
EMDR addresses the trauma or formative experiences that often underlie chronic anxiety.
Somatic work helps regulate the nervous system directly.
Holistic support
A different baseline for the nervous system
Alongside clinical modalities our holistic program specifically supports anxiety reduction through mindfulness, yoga, breathwork, forest bathing and sound therapy. These practices help the nervous system find a different baseline than the chronic activation that has been driving both conditions.
CRTC began with our founder's own recovery, and with the gaps he found in the care he received.
Today the program is run by a multidisciplinary team: an addiction psychiatrist, physicians, clinical psychologists, counselors and holistic therapists, alongside an admissions team that answers every call. When you reach out you are not talking to a call center. You are talking to people who do this work every day and understand where you are right now.
Not just stopping. Building a life worth protecting.
The mountains of Atenas or the heart of San José. A different pace. Real distance from the environment, pressures and patterns that have made everything harder.
Days with shape and purpose. Therapy that truly knows you. A team that understands this specific combination and what it takes to address both. A community of people who understand without judgment. And slowly, something shifts.
Recovery lived while you are still supported. So that when you leave, it is not theoretical. It is something you have already begun.
Distance from your environment is not an obstacle. It is the first therapeutic step. The people, places, routines and patterns that have reinforced both conditions are environmental. Creating real distance from them creates real space for change.
Therapeutic distance
Leaving your triggers behind is not running away. It is the most practical first step recovery can take.
Nature as medicine
The rainforest, the rivers, the stillness. Costa Rica's natural environment actively supports nervous-system regulation, reflection and healing.
Safe and credible
Fully licensed, English-speaking team, world-class natural environment and a recovery infrastructure that works.
When I arrived at CRTC, I was hopeless and broken. The night before, I had almost ended my life with a bottle of methadone pills just to make the pain stop. I didn't really feel like I deserved another chance at recovery.
Before coming to…
I'm so grateful I chose CRTC. They gave me the knowledge to understand, address and change my self destructive behaviours. I really liked the holistic approach to heal my mind, body and spirit. The program content was comprehensive enough…
CRTC gave our daughter her life back and a fighting chance.
I have waited a full year to write this review. I am a mom of a 21 year old girl that went through the full 90 day in-patient CRTC program, arriving in September of 2023. We are…
Anxiety and addiction treated simultaneously by a multidisciplinary team with specific expertise in both. CBT, DBT, EMDR and somatic work all address the anxiety-addiction cycle directly
Since 2016
Nearly a decade treating anxiety and addiction together in Costa Rica
4.6★★★★★Google rating
Based on 69 verified patient reviews
IAFA and Ministry of Health
Fully accredited by Costa Rica's national health authorities
Questions about addiction and anxiety treatment at CRTC
Can anxiety and addiction really be treated at the same time?
Yes. This is not only possible, it is the most effective approach. Treating anxiety without addressing the addiction leaves the dependency in place. Treating addiction without addressing the anxiety leaves the person without their primary coping mechanism and significantly increases relapse risk.
Will medication be prescribed for my anxiety?
This depends on the clinical picture. Our psychiatric team evaluates each client individually. Medication may be appropriate for some presentations. It is never the only approach and is always part of a broader treatment plan.
What if I have already tried therapy for anxiety and it did not work?
Many people find that anxiety treatment alone is less effective when addiction is also present. Treating both simultaneously within an intensive residential program creates a different therapeutic context. What did not work in one setting may be very effective in another.
How long does treatment take?
Our programs run at 30, 60, 90 and 120 days. The average length of stay is 60 to 90 days. The full 120-day program is required to qualify for the 30-day guarantee.
Can my family be involved?
Yes. Family therapy is part of our program and we actively encourage family involvement at appropriate stages.
Why Costa Rica for addiction and anxiety treatment?
The distance from your home environment creates real therapeutic space. Costa Rica's natural setting actively supports nervous-system regulation, reflection and recovery.
