Addiction is a condition that plays havoc on the lives of most of the people you will ever know. At one point or another, we can develop dependencies that soon turn harmful and become an obstruction in our lives. Anything can become an addiction. Smoking. Drinking. Drugs. Gambling. Even internet use. But the major steps for dealing with an addiction mostly remain the same. If you want to know the steps needed to kick that monkey off your back, these should help.
Recognising the problem
The first step to beating addiction is recognising and acknowledging you have an addiction. If you find yourself unable to go a certain period of time without going back to your habit, you may be addicted. If you grow angry at people trying to disrupt or take you away from that habit, you may be addicted. Ask yourself frank questions about how you do without your habit before the more serious effects make the symptoms obvious.
www.thehealthmagazine.com/the-harrowing-effects-of-drug-abuse-on-the-body/
Detoxing
Weaning yourself off gently is a careful approach, but not the most effective. Going cold turkey and making your body go through detoxification is a lot more painful. It will test your fortitude and your willpower to its limits. But if you can make it through, it is much more effective in the long-run.
Forming a support system around yourself
During your addiction, you may have found that you have done harm to others as well as yourself. Regaining the trust of those close to you is most important. Having their support can be instrumental in your recovery. Asking for help and forgiveness is not an act of weakness. We all build support structures in our daily lives, not just to get help for ourselves but because we like helping those close to us.
blogs.psychcentral.com/addiction-recovery/2012/02/5-steps-social-support-system/
Finding a sponsor
It is to get those that you love behind you for support. Additionally, the help of someone who understands what you are going through cannot be underestimated. A sponsor will be able to empathise every step of the way, having been through that struggle themselves. Their experience could be what tips things in your favour. You can even find sponsors to help online.
Developing coping skills
After you have initially kicked the habit, that isn’t the end of your battle with addiction. You will need to adapt your entire lifestyle to develop the coping skills that will help you the rest of the way. Avoiding the triggers that caused you to indulge in your intoxication is one of the most important ones. Learn more about coping skills from the following link.
www.addictionsandrecovery.org/recovery-skills.htm
Be willing to explore the underlying causes
It can be a scary prospect to delve into, but if you are worried about your addiction overpowering you, this can be a helpful step. Identifying what issues have led to your addiction is good not just for fighting it but for fighting other harmful behaviours in future. Better understanding yourself can lead to much better life choices in general.
www.helpguide.org/articles/addiction/substance-abuse-and-mental-health.htm
