How to Overcome Addiction: Steps to Regain Control & Live Healthier

Addiction can make it appear that you are not in control. It affects your body, your mind and your relations. You are not the only one that thousands of people have overcame the addiction and live a better life.
Self-understanding, support and proper tactics can help an individual overcome addiction. With the right move and encouragement and build a more happy future.

Why Overcoming Addiction Is Important

Addiction is bad, it is unhealthy to your health, your friends, your work, your studies or your feelings. According to the majority of experts, addiction is not a bad habit as it changes the way your brain works and it can become a significant health issue. The statistics of (National Institute on Drug Abuse) indicate that a high percentage of individuals recover.
In U.S. as an example, about 29.3 million adults (11.1%) indicate that they have experienced a severe substance use problem in one of the reports. It is also not uncommon to be reverted to the substance or behavior (relapse) and some 40-60 percent of individuals do not pass the treatment. Having all this information, it is possible to conclude that recovery is not always easy still it is possible. You need schemes, help and forbearance.

Steps to Overcome Addiction

Here are clear, detailed steps to help you break free from addiction:

1. Acknowledge the Problem: The former is problem recognition. Think of the effects of your addiction on your health, on your body, on your mind. See how it makes you change your mood, get bad relationships or even miss school or work. Such self-assessment of your existence gives you the drive to change.
2. Set a Quit Date: Choose an actual day to quit the addictive drug or habit in the near future. Mark it in your calendar. Plan in advance: what is your alternative? Who will you call? When you put a date it puts the goal in your mind.
3. Change Your Environment: Get rid of things that are in memory of addiction. In case it is a substance discard it. Keep off where you have been doing it. Another thing is to avoid tempting people. This alleviates stimuli that cause craving.
4. Create a Support Network: Discuss with close friends, relatives, society leaders. Participate in support groups, both face-to-face and online. It is better to have someone with whom to share your struggles with and make your recovery easier. They make you happy, give you tips, and make you understand that you are not the only one.
5. Develop Coping Strategies: And when the desires or the impulses strike, then do the other. Go to walking, draw, sing, dance, read or do games. Find healthy hobbies. Moreover, practice relaxation: deep breathing or meditation or time out.
   Use them when stressful and do not indulge in the addictive behavior.
6. Seek Professional Help: Counselors, addiction therapists, or doctors may be required sometimes. They are knowledgeable about addiction, are able to help you withdraw, use drugs, therapy, and mental health. Professionalism is also useful in integrating best recovery strategies. (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
7. Prepare for Withdrawal: Stopping can also be accompanied by awkwardness, physical or emotional signs. It is sometimes difficult, but it makes you know that. Discuss with a professional the method of managing withdrawal symptoms. Take a lot of water, sleep, eat good.
8. Stay Committed, Even with Setbacks: Mending is not a straight line process. You might slip or relapse. If that happens, don’t give up. Learn from what led to it. Adjust your plan. Keep focusing on your goals. The days of being clean are steps towards the right direction.

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Additional Tips to Strengthen Recovery

• Focus on Your Reasons for Quitting: List the reasons why you wish to quit. Health? Family? Future dreams? Store the list in a place that you look at regularly.
• Practice Stress Management: Meditation, yoga, deep breathing, music, and walking in nature are among the tools that can be used. Stress often causes relapse.
• Build New, Healthy Habits: Sleep, eat healthy foods, exercise, be in the outdoors.
• Avoid Temptations: Keep off places, people or things associated with your former addiction.
• Accountability Partner: This is someone you trust that you can report to and share your plans, goals and how you are feeling.
• Seek Community Support: Groups, religious or local community center support is helpful. Telling others will make you feel like you are supported.

Challenges You Might Face

• Strong cravings or urges, especially in first weeks.
• Shame or guilt many feel bad about the past, but that can slow recovery.
• Relapse is common, but it does not mean failure. Learn, adjust, try again.

Statistics show relapse rates between 40-60% for many people as they work through recovery. (Arista Recovery) But with good support and staying in treatment, outcomes improve. (American Addiction Centers)It is not an easy but quite possible to get out of addiction.
It is demanding in its sincerity, strategy, assistants, and power. The acceptance that you have a problem, changing your environment will help you to reclaim your life, seeking support and being persistent even at times when you feel it difficult. Remember: recovery can be considered as a process. You will probably fall and every little step will matter. One day of healthy living, one healthy choice gives you a healthier, happier and freer future.