5 Steps to Take If You Are Struggling With an Addiction

Dealing with drug and alcohol abuse often controls your life and affects the relationships around you. Even though addiction may lead you to the deep end, there is always a chance to recover and lead a healthier lifestyle. Here’s a stepwise guide on how to deal with your addiction and overcome the destructive addiction habits:

Accept You Have An Addiction Problem

The first step toward recovery is admitting that you have an addiction problem and accepting that you have to work on the problem. Often known as the contemplation stage, this step involves critical thinking, which helps you decide your subsequent actions towards recovery.

At this stage, you might set yourself a recovery goal so that you strive towards achieving the goal. However, the goal must be specific, measurable, and realistic to avoid incidents of relapsing. Although adjusting your life and accommodating sobriety may be challenging, it is always possible once you develop a positive outlook on the journey.

Seek Social Support For Your Addiction Recovery

Once you have committed to beginning the road to recovery, it is equally important to seek support and motivation from friends and family. In most instances, the support of family and friends is an indispensable asset in addiction recovery since it will help you achieve your short-term and long-term goals.

If your social circle contains people involved in drugs, you should consider making new connections with sober people who will support your recovery journey. Furthermore, you can choose to move into a sober home if you lack a drug-free environment or a stable home. Joining a recovery support group and engaging in community activities may also help you work towards recovery.

Seek Professional Help

Once you have decided to change your lifestyle, you must seek professional help from addiction experts to guide you through the journey. A medical professional will review the different treatment options available for you and advise on the most appropriate one.

Depending on the extent of addiction and the type of drug, the medic may recommend the most effective treatment program for you. Some of the drug treatment programs that help with addiction problems include the following:

• Partial hospitalization: partial hospitalization involves seeking medical monitoring at a treatment center during the day (typically 7-8 hours) and returning home at night.

• Outpatient treatment: these treatment programs involve scheduling appointments within your school or work program.

• Residential treatment: Residential treatment programs involve taking the addict away from their normal life and into a facility with intensive treatment. The treatment program may last for days, weeks, or months.

• Sober living communities: These treatment programs usually follow intensive programs such as the residential treatment program. The programs involve staying with other recovering addicts in a safe and drug-free environment, especially if you are worried about a relapse.

Once the medic has established the most applicable program, you should expect treatment elements such as detoxification, behavioral counseling, medication, and follow-up.

Avoid Cravings And Drug Triggers

If you want to fully recover from your drug addiction, you must stay away from cravings and drug triggers. This may involve avoiding situations, people, and places that may tempt you to return to your old habits. In order to do this, you must surround yourself with people who fully support your journey.

Ensure that you communicate to them the drug triggers and source of craving so that they may help you avoid them. You can also consider involving yourself in distracting activities that will keep you away from the urge to take drugs.

Learn Healthier Ways To Deal With Stress

It is important to note that addiction recovery may not always address the problems that lead to drug and substance abuse. Once you start dealing with your addiction problem, these problems and the associated emotions may resurface.

For successful addiction recovery, you may need to resolve the underlying issues. In addition, you should learn to face the feelings and emotions that drive you to indulge in drug abuse. Finding healthier ways to manage the stress that accompanies the underlying problem also goes a long way in your recovery efforts.

Generally, there are several steps to take if you are struggling with addiction. However, the most important step is to commit to the recovery journey, admit you have a problem, and accept subsequent recovery steps. This way, it becomes easier for your mind and body to adjust to the new habits and reduce instances of relapsing.