Coping With Withdrawal Symptoms
Withdrawal symptoms can be a difficult aspect of overcoming addiction, both for substance and behavioral addictions. With substance addictions, the physiological aspects of withdrawal can be extremely uncomfortable, feeling like a bad flu, or can even be life-threatening. For this reason, it is a good idea to talk to a doctor about the best way and the best place to quit a substance.
Fortunately, most of the acute symptoms of withdrawal pass within a week or two of quitting. However, some people who quit an addiction find that certain withdrawal symptoms seem to go on and on. This is known as post-acute withdrawal syndrome, and it can go on for weeks, months, or even years in some cases.
The risk of dying from an overdose is extremely high if you have been through withdrawal, as your tolerance of the drug will be much lower than it was before you quit. Make sure you have someone with you if you decide to use again.
In addition, addictions can sometimes mask underlying mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and even psychosis. If you are feeling blue or agitated, or you are concerned that the world or other people seem strange or upsetting since you quit, talk with your doctor. There are effective treatments for these problems that are much more effective than addictive substances and behaviors.
How To Beat Drug Addiction
by dmoakler | May 18, 2020 | Addiction Help
Dealing with drug addiction can make good people do things they never wanted to do. It can damage careers and relationshipsbut there is no one who is helpless or hopeless. By accepting your addiction, reaching out for help, and changing your habits, you can find sobriety and recovery. Read these eight tips to find out how to beat drug addiction and avoid relapses.
Avoid Toxic People Who Could Trigger A Relapse
There are people out there who you will benefit from being around and there are others who will only bring you down. You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. If one of those persons is continually negative, judgmental, or self-centered, their toxicity becomes contagious and will eventually consume you. No matter how long youve known them or how close you are, you are better off without them. Exchange them for someone who supports your mission, has a healthy lifestyle, and fosters your personal growth.
Also Check: How Rehabilitation Helps Drug Addicts
Turn Off Your Notifications
When you stop notifications from disturbing your normal routine, you might find it easier to concentrate on your daily tasks and not get distracted so easily. Notifications are a constant reminder that something is happening in the online world and you might feel like you’re missing out. So to quell your FOMO, turn off your notifications. The bonus is, when you do come around to checking your social media, you may have a build up of more notifications which will make it more exciting and will make the experience more rewarding.
Understanding How To Stop A Sex Addiction
The first step to treating sex addiction is admitting there is a problem. The next step is realizing that the lies and deceit associated with sex addiction must stop. You might think by erasing your browsing history of online porn or deleting emails and texts to perspective sexual partners that you are keeping it under control.
Concealing sex addiction is not protecting your partner in any way and every misdirection is a betrayal of your relationship. Lying is a choice that you make. Every lie. Every time. You must decide to be honest about your addiction from this point forward.
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However Its Imperative For Overall Health And Happiness To Stop Ones Phone Addiction You Know It And I Know It
Heres my #1 tip:
Replace the habit of grabbing your phone with grabbing your daily planner!
Ideally, your PUSH journal. But seriously, whatever planner works best for you is fantastic! Just make sure you find one thats small enough and portable enough.
Which is why, coincidentally, Im not a fan of annual planners as theyre usually too big and super inconvenient. Meaning, they generally dont work when you need to depend on them at all times. Dependability and practicality are what you need to solidify this habit.
Once youve committed to your journal, Id like you to focus on repeating this line to yourself whenever the need to grab your phone strikes
I need to grab my planner!
Again, this habit will only work if the journal youre reaching for is compact enough to have with you 24/7. Id suggest to grab a 90-day planner! They work best for me and theyre totally my lifeline.
For those of you who wear glasses or drink water constantly, you know what Im talking about. Eventually, you get to a place where you dont leave the room without your glasses or your water bottle!
You know its possible!
So, I cant stress this enough: To break the habit of grabbing your phone whenever you:
- Want a distraction
- Need to check your social media
How To Stop Addictions For Good
If youre familiar with my work, then you know I am a recovered emotional eater. I personally know that you need all the help you can get to stop addictions in a lasting way.
If youre trying to figure out how to overcome addiction, these effective tips can help. Lets dive into the best methods for staying motivated throughout your recovery.
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How To Stop Your Addiction To Sugar
Some people describe it like a prison, always keeping them chained to unrelenting cravings that fill them with pangs of guilt and fatigue.
Surprisingly, Im not talking about alcohol or any kind of drug. Im talking about addiction to sugarsomething that is affecting more and more individuals today.
In this post well look at how to stop sugar addiction once and for all.
Larger studies havent been done yet to determine exactly how often addiction to sugar affects adults, but recent research showed that about 8% of women aged 45 to 64 could meet the full criteria for food addiction.
This gives us some indication of just how many people are struggling with food addictions of some sort, but it doesnt begin to zero in on the plight the many people who suffer from relapsing bouts of sugar cravings that dont go away and persist for days at a time.
Most peoples first reaction to realizing they have a sugar addiction is guilt, because they feel like theres no reason they should be constantly turning to processed sweets when theyre smart, knowledgeable or motivated to stay healthy.
The simple, unavoidable truth is that it can happen to anyone. This affects everyone with a body.
In this article, Im going to discuss the ins and outs of sugars effect on the body. And in case youre wondering why sugar is such a problematic thing, read this first.
How To Stop Your Phone Addiction
Lets be straight up about it. The majority of us are really, really, really attached to our phones at this point. If not totally addicted. Statista reported that the average US smartphone owner checks their phone over 47 times A DAY.
Were making sure that theyre on the table at dinner, we take them with us to workout, to the bathroom and everything in between. Weve got our heads inside them talking to people via messaging or social media when there are literally humans physically sitting in front of us that we should be talking to instead.
The use of mobile devices in the world work to simultaneously connect and separate people from one another on a daily basis. You can FaceTime your parents from across the world but at the same time cant get through an hours meeting without checking your phone for texts, calls, or notifications.
While you may think your relationship with your phone should be one that reflects your own personal needs, feeling the urge to check a digital device every 10 minutes isnt exactly an ideal way of life.
So, if youre like us and are starting to get sick of how often you check your phone, it might be time to consider how to beat the addiction and become more aware of whats going on around you.
Here are 6 easy tips to help you break your phone-checking habits and spend less time staring at screens.
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How To Stop Your Phone Addiction In 5 Steps
In one way or another, many people are addicted to their phones. While the internet and smartphones are great for many things, they can also be exhausting.
With the average person checking their phone47 times per day, this results in over 3 hours per day spent on mobile and picking up their phones 2,617 times per day!
Besides, the time you spend on your phone is costing you. For example, overusing your phone can harm future career moves or family relationships.
Recently Ive decreased my smartphone use dramatically. I use all my apps for a maximum of one hour per day. While that wasnt easy in the beginning, the persistence is worth it.
Here are the things that helped me stop my phone addiction and resist the distraction.
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Meditate To Relieve Stress
If there is one thing you take away from this article it would be the power of meditationif you were to start with one thing this would be it. Here are just some scientifically-backed benefits of meditation:
If there was ever a panacea for the brain I think this would be it. And the best part about it? Meditation can be done anywhere and anytime.
If you are unsure where to start, there are a variety of meditation videos on YouTube. There are also a variety of apps like Headspace and FitMind that offer a free trial for the first couple of sessions. There are certain guided meditations with different purposes like reducing anxiety, self-empowerment, or inner peace. Whatever your goal is, you can find a meditation for you. Starting out, guided meditation apps and videos are helpful to gain an understanding of how meditation works. After a couple of sessions, youll have to power to meditate anywhere you want!
Stick With The Winners
This is similar to avoiding places but is directed towards people. Those people we often drank with or got drugs from or gambled with and so on.
If you really want to stay stopped from an addiction, certainly in the beginning and for some time at the start its best to avoid these people. Just as is the case for most people with avoiding certain places, this is not likely to be forever.
But just until you know in your heart that you can handle the test of being in these places and among these people again. Although when many people in recovery reach this point they realize they dont actually want to go to those places again or be with those people.
Theres a phrase frequently heard in addiction recovery circles that is stick with the winners. It may sound harsh, but really is just to get you considering who youre keeping company with at any given time.
We also need to look out for people who cause us to have strong emotions or who trigger us. This could include family, friends or colleagues.
It would be best to avoid these people in most instances. But if thats impossible, such as with some family members, at least be aware that you need to keep alert.
Also perhaps do some mental and emotional preparation before you see them such as meditate or read something that inspires you to stay stopped from your addiction. As well, try your best to limit the time you spend with anyone like this.
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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.
Substitute With A Better Behavior
When it comes to addiction, there is no one size fits all approach that works for everyone or even for the same person at different stages of recovery. And theres no addiction too small either to find the right approach for you or your loved one. At MATClinics, we pair outpatient medication-assisted treatment with counseling with cognitive and behavior therapies.
However, when it comes to sugar addiction, medications may not be needed. Take a moment to notice when you reach for sugar and then try to substitute that behavior with something else like meditating or exercise. Trying to keep your stress levels down as you work on breaking the cycle of this addiction can help you have few cravings for sugar at all. Thus, it will make quitting sugar easier because you have other behaviors and habits to combat the stress that might have been causing you to reach for the sugar initially.
Also Check: How Does Nicotine Addiction Work
Ways To Reduce Or Quit Drugs
There is no treatment that works for everyone. Just as drugs affect each person differently, treatment needs to be individual. Its important to find a program that works for you.
Treatment options range from counselling through to hospital care it depends on which drugs are involved and how serious your dependence or addiction is. They include:
- going cold turkey you stop taking drugs suddenly, with no outside help or support
- counselling and lifestyle changes individual or group therapy can help you learn to cope without drugs. This can be successful if your drug use has been mild. Peer support groups are often run by recovered addicts their personal experience can be helpful to others
- detoxification you stop taking drugs and have medical treatment while your body clears the drug from your system
- rehabilitation this is a longer term treatment where you stay in a hospital or clinic, or at home. It also involves psychological treatment to help you deal with issues that may have contributed to your drug use
If you have mental health issues your treatment will need to address that at the same time for your overall treatment to be effective.
What If I Relapse
If you have a relapse and start using again, remember that recovery doesnt happen overnight. Take the opportunity to remind yourself why you are quitting, forgive yourself and refocus on your plan.
Talk to your doctor. They can work out how to best resume treatment, or they may suggest a different type of treatment.
When youre back on track, learn from what happened:
- What triggered the relapse?
- What could you have done differently?
Discover more about managing a relapse on the Alcohol and Drug Foundation website.
A relapse can be deadly!
If youve developed a tolerance for a particular drug over time and then quit taking it, your tolerance levels drop. If you have a relapse and use as much of the drug as you did before quitting, you can easily overdose.
If you, or someone you know, is in danger of overdosing, phone 000 immediately and ask for an ambulance.
Read Also: How To Stop Your Sugar Addiction
Put An End To Addiction By Joining A Support Group
One of the most common ways people start to find help is by attending a local support group. Here, individuals can connect, share, and learn from others who have similar experiences. This cathartic expression has been shown to help countless individuals struggling with addiction. Types of support groups for addiction include Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, Sex Addicts Anonymous, or Gamblers Anonymous. Thankfully, these support groups are found almost anywhere in any town, city, or country. To find a local support group near you, visit the link to their website and search in your area.
Is It Really An Addiction
Most people who hear about others with an addiction to sugar may think the solution is as simple as just stopping consumption of sugar. Herein lies the problem: those struggling with sugar will go through bouts of restrictive eating, only to find that their longing for sugar comes back with a vengeance.
This on-sugar-off-sugar cycle turns into an emotional rollercoaster in which a person loses connection with their behaviors and constantly feels guilty, thinking that theyre just not motivated enough.
Now some people may just have extra hunger that occasionally creeps up and causes them to eat more than usual on certain days. This can be from extra activity, lack of sleep, not drinking enough water or lacking sufficient fiber in the diet.
Here are some warning signs to look for to help determine if the behavior constitutes an actual addiction to sugar
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