Are you becoming indifferent to the various happenings in your life? Do you experience ill-health effects more often now than before? Do you feel that your alcohol or drug tolerance has increased to a dangerous level? Do you think that your addiction has badly affected your relationships? If you nodded along tensely, then you are past the hurdle of realizing that your addiction is taking control over your life.
Getting over an addiction is undoubtedly challenging, yet it’s not impossible. Quitting drug or alcohol addiction entails various physical, biological, mental, and emotional factors that make it harder for the addiction victims. Even after committing to quitting an addiction, you are likely to experience dissonance, making you vulnerable to relapse. But, if you hold onto this unhealthy habit for too long, you’ll find yourself flirting with death soon enough. Not only does it jeopardize physical health, but addiction also ruins the social, psychological, and emotional aspects of a person’s life.
Thus, if you want to revert to your previous addiction-free life before it’s too late, we can help. Keep reading to find a few helpful ways you can use to get over your addiction timely.
Seek professional help
If you feel that your addiction has gone way beyond your control, seek professional help as soon as possible. Addiction is nothing but a game of your brain’s reward system that triggers your drug cravings despite the negative-health outcomes it brings. Thus, there is nothing wrong with seeking help. For this purpose, use Google for some top-rated addiction treatment centres and find the one that caters to your needs. A rehab facility offers a variety of treatment options like medical detox, management of withdrawal symptoms, etc. Professionals at a rehab facility provide individualized treatment and ensure that you leave the facility sober and continue your life with sobriety.
Reflect on your addiction
One of the most effective ways to get over an addiction is to thoroughly reflect on your addiction and assess it in terms of its advantages and disadvantages. Consider asking yourself questions like has my health deteriorated after excessive alcohol or drugs? Am I experiencing more conflicts with my loved ones now than ever? Has my life lost its purpose and meaning that it used to have? Do I prefer the temporary pleasure from drugs or a peaceful healthy life? These questions will help you narrow down the costs and benefits of your addiction. When you find that your addiction is not benefitting you in any way, you will be motivated to take steps away from it. You can also keep a journal to devise a plan to quit addiction based on your triggers, rewards, punishments, and motivators.
Identify your triggers
A trigger is a stimulus like an event or situation that may urge you to take drugs or drink. Try to get rid of anything that acts as a trigger for your craving. This involves identifying what motivates you to drink or in which situations you want to drink and seek euphoria. Determine whether it’s the stress at your workplace, a toxic relationship you cannot hold onto, or the social isolation that urges you to drink up. This will help you devise coping strategies accordingly. For example, if your addiction started due to losing a loved one, box up all their remains and place them in an inaccessible space. The more you avoid triggers, the easier it will be to hold back on your drug or alcohol overuse.
Look for distractions
After identifying triggers, your next step must be looking for distractions to soothe your cravings. Try to delay the response to a craving by engaging in a distracting activity, and soon you’ll find yourself living without it. The distractors you can utilize when a craving occurs depend on what you like doing instead of drinking or taking drugs. The most common things you can do include taking a walk, reading a book, watching your favorite TV shows, calling a friend, etc. You can also engage in a light exercise for it’s not only a great distractor but also boosts mood, reduces stress, minimizes cravings, and more. Staying engaged in an activity can help you avoid temptations and quit addictions eventually.
Try changing your environment
Quitting an addiction is not a simple task. It requires significant changes in your personal, social, and professional lives. In a nutshell, you’ll need to incorporate several changes in your lifestyle or change it altogether. Consider changing your workplace if you drink out of workplace stress. You may also need to change your daily routines or hang out at places like avoiding bars or restaurants where you used to drink. In the social context, consider changing your company. There is no point in thinking about quitting addiction if you can’t leave your toxic group of friends who motivate you to drink. You’ll need to make little sacrifices if you want to change your life for the better.
Find social support
Remember that you alone can’t get over this toxic habit no matter how hard you try. You need a few people who can assure you that you are not alone in this battle. Thus, talk to the people you can rely on and tell them about your condition and plan to overcome this addiction. This support network will help you take this battle head-on and keep you motivated throughout the challenging journey. Over time you may feel helpless due to relapses and low self-esteem. At such times, these people will help you get back up and make you realize that you can make it to the end. You can also join online support groups to seek motivation from people fighting like you to continue their lives with sobriety.
Conclusion
Quitting an addiction is full of challenges like temptations, withdrawal symptoms, and relapses. No matter how many challenges this difficult journey throws at you, never give up. Your persistence, motivation, and endurance are the primary factors to help you through this journey. This article mentions a few effective ways to assist you on your road to recovery. Reflect on your addiction to know the costs and benefits of your habit, try to identify your triggers, and use distractors to avoid them. You can also try changing your environment for coping better. If all else fails, seek professional help for a guaranteed recovery from this toxic habit. So, are you ready to cut through?