Do you want to overcome an addiction of any kind? The very first step you need to take is acknowledging you have a problem. Without acknowledging this fact you will not be trying your best to find a solution for it. Whatever you do, do not feel hopeless, as there is a lot of help all around you. As Einstein once said, “the only thing constant in this world is change”. The path to change is not easy, but with enough support, guidance, companionship, information and the right treatment choice, the change can come naturally. The success of any efforts made in this regard depend heavily on how much you know about your addiction. While trying to quit, the more you know about the phases a quitter might pass through, the higher the chance that you will be successful. The ultimate key is to ask for help.
Just like any other decision in your life, quitting an addiction requires a solid action plan. Simply jumping into a quit attempt might have worked for someone you know, but you need to keep in mind that there is a possibility that such an attempt won't work for you. In most cases, addicts do not have control over their actions as their behavior is altered by varying levels of cravings they might be experiencing. Try to analyze the frequency and dosages of your drug abuse, and establish how much effect this has on your daily routine. It is always best to make a list of things that are keeping you from changing and the things which might have the potential of being helpful while quitting.
Try to choose a time which could boost your level of motivation like a birthday, the new year, before your first counselling session, or after a surgical or medical procedure. Overall, before even starting your quit attempt, keep reminding yourself how important it is for you to quit and what great benefits you will have once you are free of your addiction. Thinking about the things you might have learned from your previous quit attempts...
Just like any other decision in your life, quitting an addiction requires a solid action plan. Simply jumping into a quit attempt might have worked for someone you know, but you need to keep in mind that there is a possibility that such an attempt won't work for you. In most cases, addicts do not have control over their actions as their behavior is altered by varying levels of cravings they might be experiencing. Try to analyze the frequency and dosages of your drug abuse, and establish how much effect this has on your daily routine. It is always best to make a list of things that are keeping you from changing and the things which might have the potential of being helpful while quitting.
Try to choose a time which could boost your level of motivation like a birthday, the new year, before your first counselling session, or after a surgical or medical procedure. Overall, before even starting your quit attempt, keep reminding yourself how important it is for you to quit and what great benefits you will have once you are free of your addiction. Thinking about the things you might have learned from your previous quit attempts is always helpful. When you are thinking of quitting, getting rid of anything that reminds you of your old habits (smoking/drinking/drug abuse etc), is always helpful.
A determined thinking process finally brings you to this phase. You should remember that there is nothing that can make your addiction vanish in a moment. Addictions do not only affect you physically, but also have a huge impact on your relationships, behavior, personality, career and your psychology. All these aspects of addiction might require individual interventions. Every person with an addiction has different needs. So always remember to look for and choose the treatment option that suits your requirements. Once you opt in to a program (or a set of programs addressing different needs), make sure that you follow through it to the end. Remember to be patient and not to be judgmental, as the professionals will only be trying to help you. Do not be afraid of failing, as most of the times you will learn something new about your addiction, which will solidify your next attempt at quitting.
Remember not to go through your quit attempt alone, if at all possible. If you have a close friend or family member who suffers from a similar addiction, both of you can start your quit attempts at the same time. This will help you relate to each other and share your experiences. Even if you do not have someone to accompany you in the quit attempt, you can always inform your friends and family about your efforts, and they will surely be glad to give you support and motivation every now and then.
It helps to have a sober environment, which can play a big role in keeping you from relapsing. You can either develop a new sober social network or move into a sober living home. It is always good to join a support group, where you can meet and listen to people who have problems similar to yours. Once you join such a group, you must make it your priority to attend the regular meeting sessions and learn through sharing your thoughts. Such activities help a lot in taking the burden off your chest.
The amount of stress which people face each day is one of the main reasons why they turn to alcohol or recreational drugs. When you are trying to quit or even if you have successfully quit, the stressful feelings are bound to return to some extent. This is very typical, and everyone faces some amount of stress on a regular basis. It is very handy to have knowledge of different ways to relieve stress. Cravings will be the most common reason for feeling stressed during a quit attempt. A number of different activities can be adopted to effectively deal with stress. These including physical exercise, meditation, yoga, different types of massages, stress busting soothing music, book reading, breathing exercises and hot drinks.
During a quit attempt, you can go through a good amount of stress. To cope with this stress, keeping yourself busy with different tasks during the day is key to survival. Books are known to be man’s best friends, and hence can be used to keep yourself occupied and stress free.
You can set targets, like finishing a book within a week. Joining a reading club is a good way to spend time and share your views with other people who have read the same book. There are a lot of resources (reading activities) available online for people who are into reading. By choosing reading as your stress buster, you can use this time to increase your knowledge about different ways of giving up your addiction. More information you have about different phases of a quit attempt and its after affects, the more likely it is for you to stay clean thereafter.
Maybe it is about time you found yourself a hobby! Or simply think about adopting that cute pet which you have always wished to have. Pets require a great deal of your attention and do take away your feeling of loneliness. If you have a dog then that is a reason in itself for you to go out and get some fresh air and much needed exercise. Scientific studies have already concluded that people who keep pets have lower stress / depression levels, are more relaxed, have lower levels of cholesterol, visit their doctors less frequently and surprisingly enough, such heart patients even live longer than the ones without any pets.
We have already mentioned how reading activities can help you stay busy and away from the stress of quitting your addiction. If these activities do not sound attractive to you, maybe you are one of those who likes cooking, baking or for that matter eating. But make sure that you eat healthy and do not get addicted to junk food.
Relapses happen frequently while trying to give up any kind of addiction. Do not think low of yourself when you experience a relapse. Giving up addictions is somewhat like learning to ride a bicycle. Everyone has different needs and levels of addiction, so it might take a few attempts before you are able to successfully quit. Cravings, trigger points, withdrawal symptoms, physical pain, troubled relationships and other social pressures are usually the cause of a relapse. Do not think about a relapse as your failure, as it is just a learning curve. Actually, it gives you a new and a better shot at quitting, as in your upcoming attempts, you know your weaknesses and can prepare to tackle them.
Physical exercise is the most commonly used technique to cope with stress. Physical activity like jogging, rope skipping and jumping can release endorphins in our body, which can decrease the level of stress and can make us feel well. Activities like yoga, meditation, aerobics, gym sessions, sauna bath and listening to stress-busting soothing music can even be mixed and matched to suit your individual taste. If you were not physically fit already, this could be your supreme opportunity to set new goals for yourself. Working out in this way can not only keep your triggers and cravings away, but these kinds of activities can also give you the euphoric feeling and hence motivate you even further.
For a smooth quit attempt, it is necessary to effectively manage your cravings and triggers. It is best to make a note of the times when you experience cravings. Different places, people, situations or surroundings can act as triggers for your cravings. You can deal with them in the most appropriate manner only if you know when they usually occur and if you have plans for how to overcome them. At the beginning of your quit attempt, try to think and write down your action plan for each possible situation. Keep a few options for yourself, so that if one thing is not working for you at that moment, you could try another.
Your thoughts on this
Loading...