Getting Treatment To Overcome An Addiction
There are many different treatments that can help you during the process of overcoming an addiction, including medical and psychological treatments. There is no one “right” type of treatment, although some approaches are better supported by research than others.
Cognitive behavior therapy helps many people, and research shows it to be very effective in helping people overcome all kinds of addictions. But CBT is not for everyone. Other approaches may be better suited for those who do not relate well to analyzing their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Mindfulness-based approaches have become very popular and can be easier to relate to for many people. As with CBT, mindfulness is helpful for people with underlying mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression.
A variety of other treatments can be helpful, including couples counseling, family therapy, and neurotherapy. Medications can sometimes be helpful in the short term or the long term. Talk to your doctor about the options that are available to and appropriate for you.
If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.
For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database.
Dont Lose Sleep Over It
If you find yourself up late at night playing on your phone, whether it is video games, Facebook, or text messaging, you are losing precious sleep over your addiction. The moment you stop putting energy into caring for your basic needs and pour your time and energy into your phone, you are allowing the phone to dictate your health and well-being. If you catch yourself in this scenario, my advice is to power off your phone an hour before bed time to ensure that your last hour is spent in a meaningful way, and that you get to bed on time to start the next day afresh. Your phone is just not worth losing sleep over.
Now its your turn. Do you find yourself in one of these scenarios? Whats your plan of action to ensure that your phone isnt dictating your life? Please share in the comments below, and lets inspire each other to live healthier, happier, more meaningful lives by not caving into a phone addiction.
If you make your own coffee in the morning, chances are youre only making the same boring kind everyday. Now its time to put an end to the cynical habit and turn you into an instant coffee connoisseur.
For those who dont know, there are officially 38 different ways to make coffee. All, except decaffeinated versions will give you the same buzz that can either make you extremely productive or give you anxiety.
The only difference here is taste. And when it comes to coffee, taste matters. A lot.
Replace Your Old Habits With New Similar Ones
Finding something similar to your bad habit can help you easily replace it. If you only have the choice to give into your habit or stay at an equilibrium, your habit will likely influence your choosing. If you have two choices, one new choice and one old choice, you have a better chance at picking the new choice that will help you form a positive habit since it puts you at an elevated level compared to where you were before.
For example, when someone who uses drugs feel stressed, they are more inclined to use the drugs than to not use the drugs and deal with stress on their own. Using the drugs puts them at a higher point than before but not using keeps them at the same stressful level. Instead, if you have the option to use drugs or go for a walk to get rid of stress you might pick going for a walk since the walk will likely de-stress your mind and body and put you at a better state than before.
If you drink alcohol when going out with friends and want to get sober, try a new non-alcoholic drink. You will still enjoy having something in your hand and tasting a good drink , but this time it wont be giving into your bad habit. As you start to replace your bad choices with better choices, you will likely reach for the better choice first, without even contemplating it!
Also Check: What Are The 5 Stages Of Addiction
Tips For Finding The Best Drug Addiction Treatment For You
Remember that no treatment works for everyone. Everyones needs are different. Whether you have a problem with illegal or prescription drugs, addiction treatment should be customized to your unique situation. Its important that you find a program that feels right.
Treatment should address more than just your drug abuse. Addiction affects your whole life, including your relationships, career, health, and psychological well-being. Treatment success depends on developing a new way of living and addressing the reasons why you turned to drugs in the first place. For example, your drug dependency may have developed from a desire to manage pain or to cope with stress, in which case youll need to find a healthier way to relieve pain or to handle stressful situations.
Commitment and follow-through are key. Drug addiction treatment is not a quick and easy process. In general, the longer and more intense the drug use, the longer and more intense the treatment youll need. And in all cases, long-term follow-up care is crucial to recovery.
There are many places to turn for help. Not everybody requires medically supervised detox or an extended stint in rehab. The care you need depends on a variety of factors, including your age, drug-use history, medical or psychiatric conditions. In addition to doctors and psychologists, many clergy members, social workers, and counselors offer addiction treatment services.
When To Contact A Doctor
Anyone using substances, even socially, should discuss them with a doctor to ensure safe use and monitor for signs or symptoms of addiction.
However, a person with addiction may not be ready or willing to seek professional medical help, regardless of the negative impacts it is having on their health and wellness.
If a person experiences a substance overdose, those around them should seek emergency medical assistance immediately. A person who has recovered from an overdose may want to seek professional help to treat their addiction.
When a person is ready and wants help with their addiction, they may wish to contact a medical professional to discuss options for treatment. These options include rehab, therapy, detox, and medication.
Medicinal advances and progress in diagnosis have helped the medical community develop various ways to manage and resolve addiction.
Some methods include:
- medical devices to treat withdrawal
- treating related psychological factors, such as depression
- ongoing care to reduce the risk of relapse
Addiction treatment is highly personalized and often requires the support of the individuals community or family.
Treatment can take a long time and may be complicated. Addiction is a chronic condition with a range of psychological and physical effects. Each substance or behavior may require different management techniques.
A person with addiction can find many organizations that may help them. A person can also call a hotline for help with their addiction.
Recommended Reading: How Can You Get Addicted To Alcohol
Breaking Free From Addiction
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by Dispose My Meds | Aug 6, 2020 | Recovery |
Free resources for individuals and medical providers on this topic are available at Drug Treatment/Prevention.
Addiction is a hard battle that many are facing. No one chooses to become an addict, and it does not happen overnight. Perhaps you have been struggling with addiction for a long time and you would like to come out of its crippling, cold grasp. You are probably aware that the road to recovery is a long one, but with determination and hard work, you can successfully kick your addiction and begin living the life you deserve. Here are three ways you can start your journey today.
Struggling with addiction is a lonely, isolating path. The reason you are choosing to break away from its ugly restraints is because you want to have a better life. Not only do you deserve it, it is already there waiting for you. All you have to do is ignite the flame, and try your best to never look back. Be proud of any accomplishments you make on this journey and share those moments with those who want nothing but the best for you. You are well on your way to living a happy, healthy, and sober life.
: Adam CookReprinted with permission from The Prevention Coalition.
Also Check: How To Tell If Someone Is An Addict
Identify Your Personal Triggers First
Each persons triggers are unique. For some people, getting high or drunk is the direct result of stress. For others, it is the result of just being in the vicinity of a club. Ask yourself:
- When do I think about drugs or alcohol the most?
- Which situations make me more likely to abuse a substance?
- What does using substances give me? Stress release? The ability to forget about responsibilities?
Once you identify what the triggers are, you can then begin to plan a way around them. In other words, you can learn to identify a trigger situation when it occurs and take steps right at that moment to move yourself from the risk.
How To Legally Remove A Drug Addict From Your Home
The legal process of evicting someone from a residence is not simple.
The accepted formal procedure for evicting someone from their residence is to consult with an attorney and file a legal motion with a court. The court will then hear the reasons as to why an individual believes that a person who lives with them or rents from them should be removed from the residence. Physically throwing someone out or locking them out of their residence is not an acceptable way to deal with the situation in many cases, it can leave an individual open for formal charges and even a potential civil suit if the evicted party decides to take legal action.
For adults who have an established residence in an individuals home even if they are not paying rent and are disruptive or dangerous, the process to formally evict someone must be accomplished through formal legal channels. Someone who has not established a legal residence in a dwelling, such as someone who just comes into your home and decides to live there without some formal agreement, can be evicted however, the best approach to having them removed is to call local law enforcement officers and explain the situation to them. Then, the law enforcement officers can formally remove the individual from the residence if they believe that this removal is justified.
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Arrange Activities With Family Members
Make children aware of the outside world apart from the mobile. Ask them to socialize with family members. For this, you can arrange fun activities with family on weekends. You can include activities like walking, swimming, cycling or baking. This will cause your child to also be more physically active and maintain good overall health.
How To Overcome Sexual Addiction
This article was co-authored by Trudi Griffin, LPC, MS. Trudi Griffin is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Wisconsin specializing in Addictions and Mental Health. She provides therapy to people who struggle with addictions, mental health, and trauma in community health settings and private practice. She received her MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marquette University in 2011.There are 18 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 14 testimonials and 91% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 524,300 times.
Read Also: How To Beat Opiate Addiction On Your Own
Admit You Have A Problem
The first step in quitting drugs is to admit that you have a problem. If youre not sure, ask yourself the following questions:
- Are you taking drugs first thing in the morning or to get through the day?
- Do friends or family worry or complain about your drug use?
- Do you lie about how much youre using?
- Have you sold possessions or stolen to pay for your drug habit?
- Have you participated in dangerous or risky activities, such as driving under the influence, having unprotected sex, or using dirty needles?
- Do you feel that youve lost control of your drug taking?
- Are you having problems with relationships?
If you answered yes to any of these questions it might be time to accept that you have a problem and ask for help.
Helping A Friend With Addiction
If you’re worried about a friend who has an addiction, you can use these tips to help him or her. For example, let your friend know that you are available to talk or offer your support. If you notice a friend backsliding, talk about it openly and ask what you can do to help.
If your friend is going back to drugs or drinking and won’t accept your help, don’t be afraid to talk to a nonthreatening, understanding adult, like your parent or school counselor. It may seem like you’re ratting your friend out, but it’s the best support you can offer.
Above all, offer a friend who’s battling an addiction lots of encouragement and praise. It may seem corny, but hearing that you care is just the kind of motivation your friend needs.
Read Also: How Long Does It Take To Get Addicted To Morphine
Getting Help For Addictions
Addiction is a treatable condition. Whatever the addiction, there are lots of ways you can seek help. You could see your GP for advice or contact an organisation that specialises in helping people with addictions.
You can use the following online directories to find addiction treatment services in your area:
Believing A Higher Power Can Restore Your Sanity
In the second step, you need to have complete belief that the higher power would help you restore your sanity. The wordings might be difficult to digest because no addict wants to admit that they have lost their sanity.
Ask yourself or even others, Is it normal to watch porn? and you will realize that normalcy doesnt include repeatedly watching porn to an extent that it begins impacting your life.
To know how to break an addiction, you need to admit how badly it has a control over you and that a power greater than you can help restore the state of psychological wellness and normalcy in your life.
Indeed, this higher power might have different meanings for everyone. It completely depends on your experience and beliefs who or what that higher power can be.
Keep in mind that this step is mostly about admitting the fact that you need help to recover from your addiction. You tried before but failed, which means you need someones help to assist you through this journey successfully.
Read more about porn addiction
Also Check: How To Stop Food Addiction Once And For All
See Your Specialist Alcohol And Other Drugs Service Or Local Doctor
Its important to talk to your specialist alcohol and other drugs service or doctor about reducing or quitting drugs. They can help you get appropriate help and support.
It takes courage for someone to admit they may have a problem with drugs or alcohol. Recognising you might have an issue and asking for help is an important first step to making a change.
For free and confidential advice about alcohol and other drug treatment services, you can call the Alcohol and Other Drug hotline on 1800 250 015. It will automatically direct you to the Alcohol and Drug Information Service in your state and territory. These local alcohol and other drug telephone services offer support, information, counselling and referral to services. You can also visit a specialist alcohol and other drugs service or doctor directly.
If youve become addicted or dependent on drugs, it might be dangerous to quit on your own. Your AOD specialist or doctor can refer you to treatment such as detox, medication and counselling to help you manage withdrawal symptoms.
Remember, conversations with these services are private and confidential.
