Stay Away From Things That Trigger You
Find Christian Community Support
One of the first things people learn in professional addiction treatment is how important it is to have support. Having a support network is so important that clinicians often recommend inpatient treatment if people do not have a supportive living environment. For Christians, it is important to find a supportive church, a church group or a Christian sobriety group. For example, there are Celebrate Recovery groups in several areas throughout New Jersey. Celebrate Recovery is a 12-step program with a Christian foundation.
Spiritual People Stay Sober Successfully
Through the years, Ive counseled a lot of addiction clients. One of the greatest pleasures I get from my work is watching people in recovery achieve a life free of substances and of all the problems that go with them.
Ive often wondered what separates those who stay sober from those who continue to relapse. What Ive noticed is that most of the successful people have a relationship with spirituality.
Many people respond fearfully when they hear the word spirituality because they often think that religion judges them harshly. But spirituality can be much more than religion. Whenever you honestly connect with something outside of yourself, that is spirituality.
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Spiritual Wellness And Personal Growth
People who strive for improving their spiritual wellness in recovery can build a life of meaning and purpose that is inherently valuable. If the time ever comes when they face a high-risk relapse situation, they are bolstered by the fact that returning to substance use would mean losing out on the incredible life theyve built for themselves.
How To Overcome An Addiction
John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine. He is the medical director at Alcohol Recovery Medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health .
People who have a substance use disorder often find that overcoming it is more challenging than they expected. They may feel that addiction is a myth and they can quit any time they want or that they are an exception to the rule. This can also occur with behavioral addictions involving activities such as eating, sex, gambling, shopping, and exercise.
Learning how to overcome an addiction is important for anyone experiencing a substance use disorder , alcohol use disorder , or behavioral addiction. While challenging, recognizing that there is a problem and learning more about the process of quitting are important first steps in recovery.
This article discusses what you will need to do to overcome an addiction and offers tips that can help. It also covers the symptoms of withdrawal that you might experience and some of the effective treatment options that are available.
For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database.
Recommended Reading: Addiction To Porn And Masturbation
Spirituality And Addiction: Use Spirituality To Beat Your Demons
January 11, 2018 By Harry Gardner
While addiction can vary from person to person, the negative effects remain the same. Whether youre addicted to smoking, alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, or even the internet, it can be difficult to break out of this harmful cycle. Luckily, society has become more accepting of addiction and is willing to provide the necessary help patients need to recover. Scientists have now conducted multiple studies around the relationship between spirituality and addiction. Learn more their connection and how you can start living a life thats free from addiction below.
Love And Community Are Christian Principles
Anyone who has been through addiction and recovery will tell you that a support network played a significant role in their healing process. By connecting with people around you who share common values and place love, understanding, and fellowship at the forefront of their lives, you vastly increase your chances of abstaining for the right reasons and maintaining the lifestyle long term.
If youre a person of faith who has lost their way or youre looking for somewhere to turn, religion can provide the foundation of support that you need.
Also Check: Why Am I Addicted To Weed
Make A Searching And Fearless Moral Inventory Of Yourself
We must stop running from the truth about ourselves and our brokenness. It is only as we are truthful that we can experience healing. The truth shall make you free .
Search me, O God, and know my heart test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting .
Continue To Take Personal Inventory And Promptly Admit To Wrongdoing
We should do our best to prevent new mistakes from taking root and becoming habits. We daily examine ourselves in light of Gods design for life and health and apply His principles to our lives.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing ithe will be blessed in what he does .
Read Also: Do Drug Addicts Go To Heaven
Which Drugs Are Hardest To Quit
Some substances are notoriously addictive and, some drugs may be harder to quit than others. The National Institute on Drug Abuse says that some of the most commonly used addictive substances include marijuana, synthetic marijuana , prescription opioids, prescription stimulants , sedatives, tranquilizers, and hypnotics.6
Overcoming addiction is possible but it often requires a combination of approaches to achieve the best outcome. Treatment may include:10,11
Remember that, if you are suffering from a drug overdose, be sure to call 911 immediately or make your way to the nearest physician.
Addiction Recovery And Spirituality
I recorded this show to give people hope that my story of recovery can be theirs. I want anyone whos struggling with addiction to know that they are not alone. There is a way out. And there is hope, starting with the heartfelt guidance I share in Dear Gabby.
Think of this show as a message of hope from me to you, delivered with all my love.
I want to be very clear: This message isnt just for anyone who is struggling with drugs and alcohol. Addictions are rampant in our world today. If youre addicted to sugar, social media, love, sex, work, worry or anything else that distracts you from being present with your feelings, this is for you.
In this show, I share how to overcome addiction using a gentle, two-step method. I have found that addiction, recovery and spirituality go hand-in-hand, and this practice incorporates all three to provide great relief.
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How To Break An Addiction: A Guide To Overcoming Addiction
If you are struggling with addiction, its crucial to remember that addiction to drugs or alcohol is not a character flaw, a weakness, or a moral failing substance use disorders are chronic mental health conditions characterized by an inability to control your drug or alcohol use. While the decision to first use drugs or alcohol is often voluntary, repeated problematic use may be accompanied by brain changes that ultimately make it very difficult for some people to quit using the substance. Fighting addiction is not a matter of willpower or desire its a matter of recognizing a problem and seeking help.1
Just as every person is unique, the manner in which you go about recovering from addiction must be unique and tailored to your specific needs to be optimally effective. If you want to know how to heal from substance abuse issues, and co-occurring mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety, you should understand that it may take time and persistence to recover, but recovery is well worth the effort. Taking back control of your life and starting the path to recovery is one of the best things you can do for your overall health and wellbeing. If youve chosen to recover from substance abuse issues, weve prepared various methods and tips to assist you in your decision.
Yes Even Alcohol Abuse Can Affect Your Spirituality
When people resort to taking alcohol or drugs, they do undergo various kinds of feelings like:
- Hallucinations, and
- A different mentality.
Most of them fail to understand how drugs affect you spiritually. Due to the ill effects of alcohol or drugs, they start believing drug-induced haze is the only reality. In the process, they fail to make a clear distinction between what is:
Such a mindset is the result of consuming unreliable intoxicating substances.
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Christian Exercises Assist Spiritual Progression
Each of the following practices can aid you in recovery. By applying these exercises during Christian rehab, you become more open to the changes required to move forward.
- Prayer: Through prayer, you can get ever closer to God, seek answers for yourself, and enrich the lives of others.
- Meditation: Biblical meditation helps you to focus on essential passages of the Bible and gain a deeper understanding of the revelations.
- Openness to learning: Christianity teaches you to never close your mind off with regard to gaining knowledge and understanding of the world around you.
- Finding love and beauty in the smallthings: When were grateful for the minor things in life, we find perspective.
Spirituality Can Be A Helpful Influence To Recover From Addictions
There is a very deep nexus between your behavior and spirituality during an active addiction scenario. Two possible outcomes emerge in the case of active addiction. These are:
- When it comes to religious practices and spirituality, they usually suffer in very intricate and complex ways.
- Nevertheless, they do go hand-in-hand during the recovery period.
Spiritual discussion groups are highly popular among addicts interested in achieving their spiritual goals. Additionally, they do find the integration of all voluntary spiritual discussion groups in the treatment process very beneficial for them. This mostly happens when they readily agree to undergo the treatment process to quit their dirty habit.
Recommended Reading: How To Quit Alcohol Addiction
Take Our Do I Have A Substance Use Disorder Self
Take our free, 5-minute Do I Have a Substance Misuse Disorder? self-assessment below if you think you or someone you love might be struggling with a substance use disorder . The evaluation consists of 11 yes or no questions that are intended to be used as an informational tool to assess the severity and probability of an SUD. The test is free, confidential, and no personal information is needed to receive the result.
Keys To Overcoming Addiction
Many of us facing an addiction look at our current situation and dont know how we got to such a desperate place. Its hard to see how, one little step at a time, we got so far off track and out of control. But the truth is, if we were to comb through our past, we would likely find some common threads that led us to addiction. Before we talk about overcoming addiction, lets find out how they start. Addictions often begin when we:
Just as we have followed a path to get into our current situation, there are also a few steps we can take to start climbing out. Here are five keys to fighting your way out of any addiction.
Are you feeling broken, lonely, overwhelmed, or just plain tired? Dont tough it out. Ask for help.
Also Check: Cultural Diversity In Addiction Treatment
How To Overcome Drug Addiction
Michael Menna, DO, is a board-certified, active attending emergency medicine physician at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York.
Drug addiction, or substance use disorder , is when someone continues using a drug despite harmful consequences to their daily functioning, relationships, or health. Using drugs can change brain structure and functioning, particularly in areas involved in reward, stress, and self-control. These changes make it harder for people to stop using even when they really want to.
Drug addiction is dangerous because it becomes all-consuming and disrupts the normal functioning of your brain and body. When a person is addicted, they prioritize using the drug or drugs over their wellbeing. This can have severe consequences, including increased tolerance to the substance, withdrawal effects , and social problems.
Recovering from SUD is possible, but it takes time, patience, and empathy. A person may need to try quitting more than once before maintaining any length of sobriety.
This article discusses how drug addiction is treated and offers suggestions for overcoming drug addiction.
NoSystem images / Getty Images
Over 20 million people aged 12 or older had a substance use disorder in 2018.
The Role Of Spiritualism In Addiction Treatment
At BlueCrest Recovery Center in New Jersey, we believe that accessing ones inner strength is key to overcoming addiction. We understand that addiction can often stem from trauma or feelings of powerlessness over ones life. Thats why we focus on helping our patients reconnect with themselves by exploring their unique spiritual paths. Our goal is to help them gain control over their lives through self-discovery and self-knowledge.
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Keep Yourself Occupied With Church Activities
You Are Not Alone In This
Our specialized staff stands ready to help you through this challenging time.
Addiction, addiction recovery, alcoholism, now referred to as alcohol use disorder , and substance use disorders have become more prevalent in our society today. Its very likely that everyone either is or knows someone who has struggled with or continues to have some type of addiction issue.
And while the increase in AUDs and SUDs is not desired, the silver lining is that there has been a significant increase in research in the field of addiction. More and more is being learned about the disease of addiction, yielding growth in treatment options. This increasing variety of addiction treatment programs reaches even more people living in addiction to get the help they need and find long-lasting recovery.
Recommended Reading: Free Clinic For Drug Addiction
Encouraging Bible Verses To Curb Addiction
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.2 Timothy 1:7
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.Ephesians 5:18
A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.Proverbs 25:28
For all that is in the worldthe desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessionsis not from the Father but is from the world.1 John 2:16
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything.1 Corinthians 6:12
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.James 4:7
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.1 Peter 5:10
Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.Proverbs 20:1
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.Matthew 6:13
For freedom Christ has set us free stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.Galatians 5:1
