Addiction consumes your life and leads to horrible repercussions. Your relationships fail, your health deteriorates, and you usually end up in a financial quagmire. It is a progressive illness that drags you deeper into the rabbit hole when left untreated. However, it doesn’t always have to be this way.
When it comes to finding help, there are numerous options available. But, finding the right choice will take some research. Not everyone benefits from the same program, so knowing what’s out there is crucial. Here are some ways in which you can overcome your addiction:
1. Check Into Rehab
Rehabilitation programs combine different treatments to help you beat addiction. When you check in, the professionals on board assess the magnitude of the situation and plan the treatment. Good rehab programs provide certified therapists who are available around the clock, ensuring mental health stability. Added facilities in these programs include detoxing under strict supervision with partial hospitalization services to prevent detrimental effects from withdrawals.
Rehabs are a place to rediscover yourself, which is why their location matters. It would help if you had a place to recuperate in peace. The best way to treat your addiction is by checking into rehabs in a warm and inviting place, such as a sunny beach. Not only will you breathe a sigh of relief, but their locations will be ideal for your recovery. The right institute provides you with all the services you need, from a great degree of privacy to the best family nurturing programs that benefit you immensely.
2. Go Through A Detox
Detox is clearing the body from substances while safely managing withdrawals. Everyone experiences detox differently. Liquor is easy to wean off, but drugs such as benzodiazepines take much longer. Despite the complexity of this procedure, it is essential. The substances need to leave your body to help you become more level-headed and embrace sobriety.
However, don’t attempt detoxifying at home – the withdrawals can knock you unconscious or become fatal. Go to a rehab or a medical professional’s supervision to ensure the substances safely leave your body. Expect unpleasant symptoms such as vomiting, cold sweats, loss of appetite, and even migraines after the procedure. Powering through these will help you fight your addiction and embrace the better side of life.
3. Seek Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Addiction is a cycle of irrational thoughts leading to substance abuse, and breaking that cycle is the only way out. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an excellent tool to expose harmful thought processes and replace them with rational ones. A professional therapist will help you identify triggers, avoid temptation and establish healthy coping mechanisms. Their method consists of listening carefully to your thoughts, sharing practical self-kindness tips, and teaching you positive imagery. You also get a chance to be vulnerable about your addiction in a way that can help you recover.
A therapist can deal with everything you throw their way. You may get mood swings, get defensive and hesitate to advance with treatment, but a professional knows how to guide you back.
The benefits of cognitive therapy are endless, including maintaining your mental health. Gradually, you replace habits with healthier ones and even manage to ward off cravings.
4. Join A Twelve Step Program
The twelve-step program is a form of group therapy to break free from addiction. Sitting among a circle of peers, you feel less alienated and get closure by witnessing shared pain. The discussions with your group members will help you see addiction for what it is. Recognition is a powerful tool, as it allows you to make the necessary amends to heal old wounds and prevent new ones from festering.
Twelve-step programs also use spiritual practices while giving you the space to define the parameters of your faith. Once you begin surrendering to a higher power, it helps you acknowledge your place in the world and strengthens your resolve. It is an opportunity to hold hands with others walking the same journey towards a common goal.
An additional perk of the twelve steps program is that once you’ve hit a stable, sober point, you can return to mentor addicts.
5. Get Medical Help
Medicines can help with the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol by making the process smoother, whether you’re going through a substance-induced stupor or fighting withdrawals. However, it is recommended not to take medicines on your own since some are highly addictive. Consult a professional who can administer what you need in the right dosage. They know how to navigate the delicate balance between finding the right amount and causing an unintentional addiction.
When you’re going through withdrawals, you may get severe anxiety, body aches, and even convulsions. Depending on your drug of choice, a doctor will evaluate your condition and give you the right medicine. For example, if you get depressed, you may get Zoloft and Prozac to ward off the condition. If you’re going through an opiate withdrawal, you may get clonidine to reduce sweats and cramps.
Naltrexone is another example that minimizes the urge to drink and prevents your brain from creating an impulse to drink. When you’re in safe hands, these drugs won’t add to your addiction; instead, they will make it easier to get better. These drugs also prevent relapses and help you stay sober.
Final Thoughts
Despite how painful quitting addiction can be, there is always a way out. It doesn’t matter why you got addicted. What’s important is deciding to get out of it. There are numerous options worth exploring that enable recovery. Some of these include rehab, therapy, detox, a twelve-step program, and medication for addiction. The choices before you may be complex, but it takes immense courage to break free from the vicious grasp of addiction to a holistic and fulfilling life.
Give yourself a chance to get better and stay better. Following a Chinese Philosopher, Lao Tzu’s quote- “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, so take your first step today!”