Living a long and healthy life is a goal that most people hope to achieve. However, sometimes, life gets in the way of our good intentions. Going through challenging times in your life or being influenced by other people can lead to you developing habits that damage your health and threaten your longevity. It can be all too easy to fall into health-damaging habits. After all, things like drugs and alcohol are extremely addictive. They may even feel like a lot of fun at first and a way to escape realities in your life that you don’t want to face.
The problem is that these habits can quickly spiral out of control. One minute you may be wondering, ‘how long do shrooms take to hit?’ The next moment, you could find yourself in the emergency room after experiencing an overdose. The problem is, addictive behaviors can impair your judegement and cause you to engage in risk-taking behaviors you would usually never even dream of participating in. So, finding a way out of your addiction before it damages your relationships, career, and health is essential. But knowing how to break-free and leave your addictions behind once and for all can be incredibly challenging. Seeking professional advice is always essential when you’re trying to control an addiction. However, there are a few helpful factors to keep in mind when trying to break free from addiction.
Set a Date
Committing to a date when you will end your addiction and start your new chapter can be helpful. This gives you more time to process the changes that you plan to make and how you will make them happen. However, it’s vital that you stay committed to the date you choose and don’t give up on your plans to end your addiction. Some people find that it helps to use a memorable date as their starting point, as a definitive marker of their new chapter. This could be a birthday or an anniversary.
Consider Your ‘Why’
Often, people feel a little forced into giving up on their addictions by other people. This can often be loved ones who become upset and disturbed by the addict’s behavior and concerned for their well-being. Of course, this is completely valid. No one wants to see someone they love and care about trapped in the destructive spiral of addiction. But to make a lasting change in your life, you need to be motivated to give up for yourself, not just to appease others.
Spending some time thinking about all the benefits you will gain when you end your addiction is really worthwhile. Once you start to think in this way, you’ll no doubt find dozens of reasons why making this major change in your life is a really positive step. Looking at the bigger picture, you will benefit from being free to choose what to do and how you live your life without your thoughts being occupied by how you will feed your habit. Plus, you’ll be able to reconnect with friends and family and to nurture relationships that really matter to you. Even being able to wake up in the morning with a clear mind and a purpose to your day can be a big incentive to drop your bad habits and to start afresh. So, there are certainly many reasons why you should go ahead and make this change.
Think About Your Environment
How successful you are at combating your addiction will depend on many things. But there are ways you can make this battle easier on yourself. Thinking about your environment and the situations you put yourself in is a prime example of this. Avoiding places that you associate with your addiction and situations where you would normally find yourself drinking, using drugs, gambling etc, is a really effective way to make it easier to break your habit. Likewise, it’s helpful to stay away from people who are normally around when you are practicing your addiction. Removing yourself from people and places that could cause you temptation is really wise to do wherever you can. As time goes on, and you’re further along your journey to recovery you may reach a point where you feel ready to face environments that would previously cause you temptation and potentially damage your recovery. However, there’s no need to rush into this before you’re ready.
Surround Yourself With the Best Support
Overcoming an addiction can feel like an incredibly lonely process. But it is a lot more manageable when you have people around you to support your recovery. Being around people who genuinely care about you can make a massive difference. There will be difficult days along the way, but having someone to chat to when things are tough and to distract you when you are feeling tempted can help you to stay on track.
As well as gaining support from your family and friends, it’s also especially helpful to look for professional help. Visiting a treatment center can be really useful as it places you in a new environment away from all the previous distractions and temptations that could damage your recovery. Having this separation from your everyday life can give you a whole new perspective on your life and the way you live it. While at the treatment center you will have the opportunity to work through issues that may contribute to your addictive behavior to help you avoid future relapses. This can come in many forms, from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to family counseling sessions.
Final Thoughts
Living with an addiction is never easy, but making a definitive decision to take action and break away from your habits can make a huge difference to your life. Focusing on the positive changes that you will be able to experience by ending your addiction can transform your relationship with yourself and others, your work, health, and your overall quality of life.
With support from loved ones and skilled professionals you will have a much better chance of success.
