As rising living costs strain household budgets, many Americans are turning to stress-relief habits instead of professional support—and often sacrificing essentials to maintain them.
Content Written By:
SUD treatment executive, national news contributor & keynote speaker.
Navigation:
- Overview
- Key Takeaways
- Americans Are Stressed – But They’re Still Spending
- Which Habits are Escalating Most
- The Comforts That Survive Budget Cuts
- Sacrificing Essentials to Keep Coping
- The Financial Situation Fueling Coping Habits
- Substances Are Cheaper Than Therapy
- When Coping Costs More Than the Comfort
Overview
The advice is always the same when money gets tight: cut the lattes, cancel the streaming, cook at home. But most people aren’t clinging to small comforts out of carelessness — they’re clinging to them because those comforts are the only part of the day that still feels good. And when the pressure keeps building, plenty of them reach past the latte for something stronger: a drink after work, a vape on the walk home, a bet that might, just this once, fix the math. It’s not in spite of the financial strain — it’s because of it.
To understand what vices people actually protect when their budgets tighten, Drug Rehab USA surveyed 1,200 U.S. adults about their finances, their stress, and the habits they lean on when both get worse. The findings showed a feedback loop: financial strain drives the coping, the coping gets harder to stop, and its cost feeds the strain that started it. That loop runs deepest among the youngest and lowest-income Americans — the people with the least room to absorb it, and the least access to anything better.
Key Takeaways
- More than 4 in 5 Americans (83%) say their financial stress has not improved over the past year, including 39% who are more stressed about money now and one-third who report rising credit card debt.
- Two in five Americans say rising living costs have caused them to lean more heavily on coping habits or stress-relief activities like alcohol, cannabis, gaming, or gambling.
- 62% have sacrificed something else to keep spending on stress relief, including delaying purchases (22%), cutting groceries (20%), reducing savings contributions (14%), or putting off healthcare (10%).
- Only 7% of stressed Americans say they’ve sought professional support when dealing with stress or emotional strain. In comparison, 56% turned to at least one coping activity instead, most commonly social media (25%), alcohol (20%), and gaming (16%).
- 43% of Americans say financial stress has made it harder to reduce, stop, or control a stress-relief habit.
- Vaping (34%), cigarettes (32%), and cannabis (30%) show the steepest increases under financial pressure among substance-based coping habits.
- 20% of Americans have delayed or skipped mental health therapy because of cost, and 9% have delayed addiction treatment or support services specifically.
- Streaming (28%) and coffee or specialty drinks (26%) top the list of comforts Americans struggle to cut back on. Reinforcing that many “small comforts” survive even as households tighten their budgets
Americans Are Stressed – But They’re Still Spending
Trying to stay financially stable within a volatile economy can feel like spinning a thousand plates at once. Once you build up your 401 (k), the stock market crashes. Once you pay off your credit cards, the roof leaks, and the materials to fix it cost three times more than they did a year ago. Even though more Americans than ever are stressed about their finances, they’re still turning to their favorite vices and comforts.
Americans are not confident about their finances. Only 14% call themselves financially comfortable. Another 48% say they’re stable, but that could change with a layoff or medical emergency. Over a third (37%) were struggling: 35% said their finances were strained, and 2% said they were in outright survival mode. Americans with lower salaries (under $50k) were most likely to worry: 53% of low-income Americans feel strained or in survival mode, versus 33% of middle-income ($50k – $100k) and 16% of high-income respondents (over $100k).
More than four-fifths (83%) said their financial stress had not improved in the past year, with 39% reporting they were more stressed about money now than they were a year ago. Only 18% of Americans feel better about their finances than they did a year ago–less than a quarter of the population. The data shows a grim reality: despite working harder and being more productive than ever, Americans are unable to enjoy the value of their labor.
Americans cut back where they could. But many were hesitant to give up their chosen coping mechanisms. Two in five (42%) said the rising cost of living pushes them toward their coping habits, and 9% said they rely on these habits significantly more than they used to. Only 2% turn to them less than before, and just 13% don’t engage in any of these activities at all. Zoomers were the most likely to engage in old habits, at 59% to millennials’ 52%, Gen X’s 33%, and boomers’ 23%. Gen Z is seeking relief more than any other generation and will do anything to find it.
Small comforts, like food delivery or self-care staples, were one cost Americans were hesitant to cut. Only 14% readily cut out their creature comforts, while 49% try to limit their spending but still indulge occasionally. Another 32% said these small comforts are worth the cost when times are hard. Americans are stressed, stretched, and cutting what they can — but the comforts that take the edge off are the last thing they’re willing to lose.
Which Habits are Escalating Most
Everyone copes with stress differently–some with healthier habits than others. However, we found that the stress of living in today’s economy is leading Americans to turn to their vices with surprising consistency. A lack of economic control leads many to find control where they can, including their own state of mind.
Historically speaking, alcohol has been a comfort to many during tough times. The same trend continues today. Of those who reported drinking alcohol, 14% reported drinking more within the past year. Among people who vaped, 9% said they were vaping more. Among cigarette smokers, 9% said they were smoking more, and among cannabis users, 11% said they were using more. But nearly all vices experienced similar increases. Likewise, gambling rose for 11% of gamblers.
Substances weren’t the only thing on the rise. Americans reported doing these non-substance habits more than they had a year before:
- Lying awake in bed (35%);
- Buying fast food and sweet treats (33%);
- Doomscrolling (29%);
- Gaming (27%);
- Making small impulse purchases (24%);
- Ordering food delivery (20%).
Among people who viewed adult content online, 13% said cost-of-living stress had increased that behavior. Even if they know these habits are unhealthy, 45% said financial stress makes it harder to stop, with 11% calling it significantly harder. What all of these share is availability: each one is cheap or free, immediate, and asks nothing of someone who has run out of energy for anything else.
Younger Americans seem to be more stressed, and thus more at risk. Gen Z cannabis users escalated at more than five times the baby boomer rate, at 19% to their 3%. In gambling, the spread was wider still: 20% of Gen Z gamblers and 20% of millennial gamblers said they were betting more, versus 6% of Gen X and 3% of boomers. Gambling is the one to watch, because it’s the only habit here that can pass itself off as a fix for the problem that caused it — and it’s escalating fastest among the group with the most to lose.
The Comforts That Survive Budget Cuts
When people aren’t sure about their financial future, they turn to short-term solutions. Immediate comforts can help to ease headline fatigue and guarantee that at least part of their day will feel good. Even though common financial advice is to cut out all non-essential spending and live as monastically as possible, in reality, people need something to look forward to.
While 48% of Americans said they’re trying to limit small comforts, they’re still spending occasionally. Cutting out the things that bring you joy isn’t always easy, even if it’s wise on paper.
When asked which comforts were hardest to give up when money got tight, respondents named these small luxuries:
- Streaming (29%);
- Coffee or specialty drinks (27%);
- Food delivery (24%);
- Alcohol (21%);
- Cigarettes (17%);
- Cannabis (13%);
- Gambling (9%).
Only 19% said none of these comforts were hard to cut at all. Many Americans are ready to get sober to save money; far fewer will forgo a daily latte.
Overall, Americans cut back on most habits — but spent more on a handful. Alcohol spending dropped for 23% of drinkers and rose for just 11%; lottery and scratch-offs fell for 17% of gamblers and rose for 8%. Cannabis broke the pattern: 9% of users spent more, 8% spent less. Adult content ran the same way, up for 5% and down for 4%. Gaming also had a large gap — 16% of gamers spent more, against 9% who cut back. But everyone was paying more to be entertained: among all respondents, 20% spent more on streaming services in the past year.
Interestingly, different socioeconomic groups turned to different vices. People with money to spare drink more — 77% of high earners drank versus 63% of low earners. Meanwhile, low earners were likelier to use cannabis (39% versus 30% of high earners), smoke cigarettes (37% versus 23%), and vape (31% versus 23%). In the past, tobacco companies have purposely targeted low-income families, leading to disproportionate addiction levels in the working class. This clearly still impacts the number of tobacco and nicotine users today, as vape companies follow suit.
Sacrificing Essentials to Keep Coping
How are Americans affording these comforts? While many are using their discretionary funds, others are pulling from essentials. In a time when everything is getting more expensive, people are making major financial sacrifices for a little bit of relief.
For many Americans, stress relief became a non-negotiable line item in their budget, even if it meant cutting costs elsewhere. Two in five (43%) said they spent at least $50 a month on stress relief, while 31% spent $100 or more. Another 11% spent over $200 a month on their stress relief. But that money isn’t readily available for everyone, and they have to pull from other funds to keep their spending going.
Three in five (62%) said they had sacrificed something else to keep spending on stress relief or leisure. Most often, they delayed a planned purchase (22%) or cut down their grocery bill (20%). But for some, the trade-offs went deeper than that: 15% reduced or paused savings, and 11% put off healthcare. To afford their habits, 15% put discretionary spending on a credit card, and 15% carried a balance longer than they’d planned. Others (11%) used money originally intended for necessities, and 10% borrowed money from family and friends. A smaller share (7%) delayed or skipped a utility bill, and 6% cut back on car insurance coverage.
Many went to great lengths to conceal not only their spending, but their consumption on the whole. Among people who drank, 20% said they had hidden or downplayed their drinking to someone close, usually a partner or a family member. Online shopping and impulse buys were another top concealed habit, with 22% hiding or downplaying a purchase from their partner or family. Concealment is what separates a habit from a problem — nobody hides a Netflix subscription. When the coping starts getting kept from the people closest to you, it has usually stopped being about the money.
The Financial Situation Fueling Coping Habits
Many Americans have found themselves in a financial ouroboros. They borrow money to afford their stress relief, and paying back the ensuing debt causes more stress. America is facing a personal debt crisis, and our data shows that at least part of it is due to a desire for comforts that would otherwise be out of reach.
More than half of Americans (53%) saw at least one form of debt increase over the past year — only 47% got through the past twelve months without taking on additional debt. Credit card debt led by a wide margin: 34% said their credit card debt had grown, more than double the next-closest category. Medical debt came second at 13%, ahead of personal loans, auto loans, and mortgages, and buy now, pay later balances rose for 9%.
When asked what drove their work stress, 24% cited their pay not keeping up with the cost of living. Income stagnation was the single biggest source of burnout, ahead of work-life balance (16%), fear of losing income (15%), and a rising workload (16%). A smaller 6% named AI or workplace automation specifically, a number that may rise as the AI bubble grows. A full 23% weren’t employed at all, leading to a kind of financial anxiety that no coping mechanism can ease.
Debt increases skewed sharply young: 65% of Gen Z and 65% of millennials saw at least one form of debt rise, against 44% of Gen X and baby boomers. Student loans in particular hit Gen Z hardest — 18% saw that balance grow, far more than millennials (9%), Gen X (2%), or boomers (2%). This is likely due to the fact that much of Gen Z is freshly out of college, if not still enrolled, but combined with rising debt elsewhere, it does not bode well for Zoomers’ financial futures.
The workers with the lowest salaries felt the tightest squeeze. Debt rose for 58% of low-income Americans versus 47% of high earners, and 29% of low-income respondents were unemployed — nearly double the 15% among high earners. Younger workers and lower-salaried workers alike are taking on long-term financial consequences to afford short-term relief, because there are so few other ways to beat their stress.
Substances Are Cheaper Than Therapy
Most people know therapy helps with anxiety long-term, but accessing it is a different story. Growing demand has meant longer waitlists, limited availability, and regional shortages in care. That’s before insurance even enters the picture, with its copays, coverage limits, and caps on how many visits a patient gets before paying out of pocket. When facing a monthslong wait or a quick walk to the corner store, many Americans would rather hit the vape pen instead of finding a therapist.
Very few Americans sought professional help when the stress became overwhelming. Only 7% sought professional support, while 53% used a coping behavior instead. Social media was the most common substitute at 27%, followed by alcohol (22%), food delivery (19%), gaming (19%), and cannabis (15%). One in ten (12%) turned to nicotine over professional help. The math is stark: for every person who talked to a professional, eight reached for a screen, a drink, or a joint.
Some substituted a vice for therapy, but others skipped out on vital medical care to make room for their habits. Americans put off dental care most often (31%), then medical visits (29%) and vision (26%). Therapy came next: 20% delayed it, and another 20% put off filling prescriptions. Just 9% delayed addiction treatment overall — but among the people who qualified for it, that figure climbed to 22%. That makes for roughly one in five going without help for a dependency because they couldn’t afford it.
Younger generations were most likely to try to DIY their mental health care. Three-quarters of Gen Z (75%) and millennials (74%) reached for a coping behavior instead of professional support, against 50% of Gen X and 34% of boomers. Social media usage had an ever starker gap: 43% of Gen Z used it as a substitute, versus 16% of Gen X and 11% of boomers. Zoomers were actively avoiding professional help: 37% of Gen Z delayed therapy because of cost, against 7% of boomers, and 18% of Gen Z delayed addiction treatment versus 1% of boomers. Despite being advocates for mental health awareness online, much of Gen Z cannot afford to practice what they preach.
Men were nearly twice as likely as women to have delayed addiction treatment because of cost (12% versus 7%). They also substituted therapy with gambling (11% versus 5%) and gaming (22% versus 13%) for professional support at roughly double the women’s rate. Men are statistically less likely to attend therapy than women, and are turning to potentially harmful alternatives when things get tough.
Income sharpened it further. Low-income Americans substituted a coping behavior at a rate of 67% versus 47% of high earners — the widest substitution gap anywhere in the survey. High earners are less likely to be discouraged by the cost of therapy, knowing that their income will be enough to cover the cost. But low earners are more vulnerable to income interruptions.
Even if they can cover the copay today, they may not be confident that they’ll be able to do so in three months–and this leads to greater hesitation.
When Coping Costs More Than the Comfort
The pattern beneath all of this is a loop, not a line. Money pressure sends people toward a habit, the habit tightens its grip the longer the pressure holds, and the money spent feeding it circles back as more pressure. Nobody in this survey was choosing a vape over rent. They were choosing it after rent, with whatever was left, because it was the one expense that paid out immediately — and for a while, that trade feels like the only one available.
Younger Americans are sacrificing their financial futures for momentary comfort. The escalation, the rising debt, the substituting of a screen for a therapist — all of it concentrated among Gen Z, millennials, and low-income Americans, the same groups least equipped to carry the long-term cost of short-term relief. When a coping habit outranks groceries and a doctor’s visit in the monthly budget, and starts getting hidden from the people closest to you, the problem has stopped being about willpower. It’s about access, and about the widening gap between how much stress people are carrying and how little affordable help exists to meet it.
That gap is where the real work sits. The behaviors in this survey aren’t moral failures; they’re what people reach for when the healthier options cost more than they can spare. Closing the distance between the two — making support as immediate and affordable as the corner store — is what turns a coping mechanism back into a choice. The Americans in this data weren’t looking for permission to cope. Most were looking for a way out that they could actually afford.
Methodology
Drug Rehab USA surveyed 1,200 U.S. adults through an online Pollfish poll examining financial stress, coping behaviors, year-over-year spending changes, debt, and the substitution of coping habits for professional support. Results were analyzed across demographic segments, including generation (Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers), income level, and gender. Income levels are defined as low-income, having household earnings less than $50k, middle-income, with household earnings between $50k and $100k, and high-income, having household earnings above $100k. Percentages reflect self-reported data and may sum to more than 100% when multiple selections were allowed.
About Drug Rehab USA
Drug Rehab USA connects people struggling with substance use to treatment options and recovery resources across the country. Its work focuses on lowering the barriers — cost, access, and stigma — that keep people from getting help, the same barriers this survey found standing between financial stress and real support. When coping starts to outrun a person’s control, Drug Rehab USA helps them find the next step.
Fair Use Statement
The findings and data above may be shared for noncommercial purposes only. If you reference this research, please attribute it to Drug Rehab USA and include a link back to this page so readers can access the original study in full.
