How to Overcome Addiction

According to The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), almost 70% of adults consumed alcohol and 20% consumed illicit drugs in 2018. The NIDA also states that the cost of substance abuse costs the country over $740 billion dollars a year because of crime, health care and lost work productivity costs. Keep reading to understand the first steps to learn how to overcome addiction.

Recognize and Accept Addiction

The first step is to recognize addictive habits and contributing behaviors and attitudes. Addicts who want to change must recognize their triggers that contribute to bad choices and high-risk situations. Acknowledging denial, improving self-awareness, and reacting appropriately to relapse warning signs will help. The NIH states that drug treatment helps the majority of people recover and improve their lives. Residential environments with supportive professionals and structured programming will assist addicts with recovery and developing sustainable skills and habits. This may include coaching for craving management and anger management sessions.

Understand the Consequences of Addiction

Substance abuse addictions, as well as gaming and gambling addictions, all have detrimental effects on addicts and their loved ones. Chronic use of illicit substances will harm body organs, physical functioning, and brain performance. This includes impaired memory, cognitive functioning, and decision-making. Personal problems include legal problems, such as prosecution for theft and hefty fines, as well as financial problems, like pawning possessions and life savings. Family trouble includes divorce, intimate partner violence, child abuse, and unintended trauma. Mental health consequences include guilt, depression, moodiness, and embarrassment.

Identify Goals to Change and Tools of Empowerment

The first short-term goal is getting rid of reminders, tempting items, and paraphernalia. This could be alcohol flasks, phone contacts, empty pill bottles, and online gambling games. Another goal is restoring positive relationships through heartfelt communication, accepting responsibility and expressing gratitude. If possible, maintain a healthy diet and active exercise routine. Per the NCBI, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) offers powerful tools and approaches for improving treatment response and outcomes. CBT empowers a person to recognize and remove self-sabotaging thought patterns. It trains participants to self-monitor how their thoughts influence their feelings and behaviors.

Besides CBT, there are other similarly useful therapies such as schema therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR). Anyone interested in overcoming substance abuse addictions and researching resources can reach out to SAMHSA, USA.gov, and Drugabuse.gov for help.

Take The First Steps

At Impact Publications, we understand overcoming addiction can be a difficult task. We want you to get your life back on track. We offer a wide range of books that can help you further understand yourself, your addiction, and how to overcome your addiction. To see our full list of products, please click the link here.