We confess that addictions are difficult to overcome and sometimes almost impossible for some to get rid of them. However, you’re capable of regulating an addiction, and we’re writing down these lines to explain how you can do that.
How do you quit an addiction?
We’ll mainly discuss SUDs (substance use disorders) here that create certain changes in a person’s brain, thereby being labeled chronic mental ailments. These diseases compel addicts to consume the things they’re addicted to and prevent them from functioning properly in their lifestyles. So, can addicts attain sobriety again? Yes,
SUDs require treatment, after which addicts may become abstinent again and cease using drugs/alcohol. However, there are some steps addicts must follow to regain their well-being. Here, we’ve described quitting an addiction in-depth to help addicts regulate their behavior. So, follow our below-mentioned suggestions if you wish to overcome your cravings and get healthy today:
1. Get support
Addicts can have their family/friends as a support system that prevents them from falling victims to their cravings again. They can encourage you to maintain abstinence and help addicts delay relapse. Without their assistance, you may find the recovery process riddled with problems. So, get as much support as you can from family and friends.
2. Distract yourself
You can overcome addictive urges by distracting yourself and finding healthier pastimes. Addicts can adopt running, jogging, gardening, and other activities as their hobbies to prevent their minds from wavering again. These pastimes help addicts escape familiar surroundings that forced them to start using in the first place.
So, you can start reading some books to soothe your senses and avoid relapse from overtaking your sobriety. Engage in these hobbies whenever urges attempt to overwhelm.
3. Go for treatment
Battling addiction alone? You should contact well-reputed rehab centers for assistance, such as “substancerehabilitation.com,” to overcome cravings via detox, rehab, and several other forms of treatment. Whether you’re from London or living in Manchester, there’s always one rehab center nearby for your assistance. Treatment options include family/group therapy and chemical dependency counseling for your recovery. That’s how addicts start healing from cravings.
4. Identify triggers
What makes you want to start using it again? Addiction treatment can help you identify triggers and realize how to overcome them. These triggers produce emotional reactions based on your previous experiences, thereby forcing you to start using drugs/alcohol again.
Therapy allows addicts to identify these triggers, including stress, isolation, social cues, or physical illnesses. So, once you’ve identified them, it’s possible to overcome them. That’s how therapy can help you recover.
5. Appreciate sobriety
Statistics indicate that relapse remains common as 85% of addicts return to drugs within a year after recovery. So, how do you prevent yourself from getting trapped by your demons again? Experts have suggested that reformed addicts appreciate the benefits of sobriety.
That’s how they can stay convinced about maintaining abstinence after recovery. Learn to enjoy the benefits of recovery, and you will stop using any substance in the future. Here’s how abstinence can benefit reformed addicts and boost their lifestyles:
- Better financial stability
- More time to spend on hobbies
- Stronger relationships with people
- Your mental/physical well-being improves
6. Change surroundings
We’re talking about how you should stay away from things, places, and/or people encouraging you to abuse drugs/alcohol. It’s difficult to leave a familiar company, but sobriety requires former addicts to avoid such company.
Always keep your distance since hanging out with these friends will lure you into that abyss again from where there’s no escape. For the sake of the success of your recovery, it’s crucial to change your surroundings. Hence, make new pals and hang out with sober people too.
7. Exercise regularly
Exercise has several benefits, such as it doesn’t merely improve your physical well-being but can also hone your mental health. When you’re working out properly, your brain discharges some chemicals associated with the feeling of happiness.
Many recovering addicts have testified how they’d overcome addiction thanks to a well-established workout schedule. Even jogging for thirty minutes will boost your morale, enhance your balance, and improve your aptitude to fight your cravings.
8. Practice mindfulness
Exercise isn’t the only solution to your addiction-related problems. Addicts should also practice acts like mindfulness to obtain more control over their thoughts/emotions. Mindfulness can help addicts break unhealthy patterns and reinforce the influence of your CBT training.
This practice teaches you to “thrive in the present” and regulate your triggers. You can become mindful by doing many simple actions such as sitting silently, chanting mantras, or taking deep breaths while alone.
9. Start journaling
Experts think that PTSD patients can especially benefit from journaling since writing down how you feel can help you regulate your emotions. This practice also allows addicts to stay sober and prevent mental health issues such as distress and depression.
Recording your recovery process enables addicts to glance back at these memories and realize how far they’ve come. That’s how they get motivated to continue fighting and defeating addiction. So, we suggest addicts record how they turned sober.
Conclusion
Addiction is bad not only for your health but also for relationships. It is pertinent to get rid of addiction to live a happy and satisfying life. So, how can you overcome addiction? The simplest answer is to get yourself into a rehab center to get rid of all the toxins from your body and start the process of recovery.
In addition, you should identify your triggers and change your environment to maintain sobriety. It’s helpful to remember the benefits of abstinence to prevent you from relapsing. Discover a pastime to keep yourself distracted. Create a support group to empower your well-being. Exercise regularly, practice mindfulness, write down your thoughts/feelings and give your favorite books a read. That’s how you can beat addiction.