Though addiction treatment looks different for everyone, the fact remains that addiction is difficult to overcome. Addiction refers to compulsive behavior that causes individuals to consistently think about or obsess over a particular habit or substance. It often interferes with a person’s judgement, social behavior and relationships. It most cases, addiction takes over lives.
Addiction is dangerous. Addicts often become dependent upon a drug or behavior to satisfy internal desires or drives. Addictive behaviors give addicts a sense of control and security, even though the very concept of addiction is rooted in lack of control. Addiction threatens a person’s emotional well-being and, in the cases of drug addiction, his or her very life. For these reasons and countless others, it is paramount that you or the addict in your life take the first step to recovery today. When you’re ready, Duke City Recovery will be here to help.
Overcoming Addiction
Overcoming addiction is never an easy or straight-forward process. Every program has a unique approach, including ours here at Duke City Recovery. That said, some steps are universal and generally accepted by most recovery programs:
- Acknowledge Your Addiction: The first step to recovery is to acknowledge that you live with an addiction. Acknowledge can help accelerate the process for change and transformation, as well as instill you with a desire to change.
- Take Responsibility: No one is to blame for your addiction except yourself. Your doctor who prescribed you the pills, your spouse who bought the alcohol, your parent who enabled your use … They were all pawns in your addiction, but only you caused it, and only you kept it going. Once you accept this, you can forgive yourself and move forward in a productive way.
- Decide To Change: Once you can confidently say you’ve completed the first two steps, it’s time to make a decision: You either want to get better or you don’t. Withdrawal is unpleasant, and you may be tempted to go back to your vice — your resolve is the only thing keeping you from doing so. Decide to get better, and don’t let anything stand in your way.
- Ask for Help: You do not need to overcome your addiction on your own and, in fact, you shouldn’t. Reach out to friends and family members, talk to your healthcare provider and seek the help of a counselor. Be honest about your situation and open to advice and support.
- Learn Healthy Ways To Cope With Stress: Many people cope with stress by abusing alcohol or drugs. What they don’t know is that substance abuse can actually aggravate stress, along with other adverse mental conditions, including depression and anxiety. At Duke City Recovery, we teach residents how to cope with stress in healthy ways, such as through exercise, meditation, socializing with friends, reading, writing and cognitive behavioral therapy, just to name a few ways.
- Learn To Stay in Control: Ideally, as an addict you will avoid your triggers as best you can. However, avoiding all triggers is impossible (take stress, for instance). Because of this, it is important that you learn to manage your cravings and stay in control, even when your mind wants you to use. Practice deep breathing, learn to distract yourself, have people you can call to talk you through the cravings and know when to remove yourself from a given situation.
Much of the staff at Duke City Recovery have faced challenges similar to yours. We know what how difficult it is to get better, but we also know that persevering is well worth it. If you or a loved one live with addiction, don’t let it control you for another day. Contact our team today.
