Did you know that 1 in 8 Americans is an addict?
Addictions are unhealthy behaviors involving obsession with an activity/substance that compels addicts to continue receiving pleasure from it. These addictions aren’t limited to drugs/alcohol. Instead, they even involve excessive shopping, gambling, and even playing video games. Some 10% of gamers become addicts, whereas 6% of Americans show an addictive attitude towards the internet. Over 30 million people in the USA suffer from some sort of sexual obsession. At the same time, several of our countrymen are fanatical about shopping. Do you think that your addiction has gone too far and is becoming uncontrollable? Here are some suggestions that might help you overcome it:
1. Admit it
The first step towards recovery involves admitting that you have a problem. Denying your addiction doesn’t help you much. Instead, it prevents you from seeking proper treatment. When to know that you have an addiction? When an activity disrupts your everyday lifestyle or makes you uncomfortable. Maybe it’s become an obsession that pleases you and guilt-traps you simultaneously. Quitting your addiction begins with admitting that an addiction exists in the first place and that it needs to go!
2. Try OPs
Patients who can’t commit to traditional therapy sessions should consider entering OPs (outpatient programs). This treatment option is cheaper than residential options and doesn’t require the addict to stay for many weeks. You can learn more about these programs to know how they’re productive and cost-effective. It is ideal for patients who cannot stay away from personal and professional responsibilities for too long. You can now receive the necessary support whenever you want and wherever you want!
3. Try CBT
Experts suggest addicts try cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to fight their cravings. It consists of 3 phases. When your addiction seems to grow stronger, redirect your thoughts to something else that interests you. It’ll serve as a distraction until the cravings stop bothering you. Visualization helps the addict as well. When you imagine yourself in a comfortable environment, cravings become weaker. In the following sections, we’ll mention more techniques that involve distraction via getting a hobby.
4. Recognize Triggers
Understand what triggers your desire to engage in that activity. Anything can constitute a trigger! An alcohol addict may find feelings of despair triggering enough to resume drinking. So, it’s crucial to discover which places, people, and conditions elicit an addictive response out of you. Addicts also discover new triggers while they’re in recovery. Learning about these triggers allows you to control the addiction more effectively and recognize cravings before they overwhelm your mind.
5. Eat Something
It’s been believed that eating sweets reduced cravings for alcoholic beverages. Though some recent studies found no correlation between these two but consuming carbohydrates does elevate one’s mood. So, it can help you remain confident at the early stages of quitting your addiction. But addicts mustn’t allow this dependence to become an addiction itself! So, avoid overeating food containing carbohydrates while consuming sweets moderately to overcome the withdrawal symptoms.
6. Distract Yourself
Distractions also help you overcome addictions as they allow the addict to stay away from enticing activities. Even simple actions such as watching your favorite television show or chatting with your bosom buddies can temporarily make you forget the addiction. These joyous actions and much nobler pursuits – as per Epicurus – protect you against the harmful results of surrendering to the addiction. So, when your addiction seems to prevail, just think of the long-term effects if you succumb to your craving. It’ll help you ponder upon the ramifications of giving in to the addiction. People who wish to deceive their addiction require strength, willpower, and self-reliance.
7. Read Books
Reading books contributes to self-motivation. You can find several self-help books that prevent you from surrendering before your cravings and also increase your productivity. These manuscripts help you get sober quickly with advanced knowledge and rejuvenated self-confidence. They also serve as distractions by taking you into a world of fantasy and imagination where cravings won’t catch you! You can apply stuff taught by these novels into real life and escape the clutches of your addiction.
8. Discover a Hobby
Everyone enjoys a decent hobby! Statistics show that 75% of Americans have at least one involving something creative/imaginative. Finding the perfect pastime improves your innovative skills and keeps you distracted from that addiction. People find solace in gardening, painting, or collecting stamps. Others pursue more outdoor ventures such as jogging and cycling. Then we have even bolder pursuits, such as mountaineering. One hobby we’ll discuss in the next subheading.
9. Start Journaling
Journaling seems like the opposite of reading books, but it’s also akin to recording your experiences. So, write down your thoughts and feelings at the end of the day – even if they constitute just a few lines. This practice will help you look back on your journey to escape the addiction. Also, when you suffer from “bad days,” reading this self-transcribed diary will help you celebrate your diligence and accomplishments. Journaling helps you setting goals for yourself and recording triggers as well.
10. Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise boosts your health, both mental and physical while helping you beat addiction. Studies show that exercise stimulates the release of endorphins. These hormones trigger a feeling of pleasure and happiness in a person’s mind. So, working out every day reduces your stress and makes you less depressed than you were before. Experts suggest exercising for thirty minutes can help fulfill your daily quota! Hence, beat your addiction by joining a gym or working out at home. Also you can find addiction treatment in Texas.
11. Create Accountability
In the end, don’t forget to reach out to your friends/family for emotional support. Experts recommend choosing one individual as your accountability partner. This person serves as a coach, encouraging you to overpower your addiction. S/he won’t let you give in to your cravings. Also, if you’re facing one of your triggers again, this person will come to your aid! Many twelve-step programs let you find the perfect accountability partner. Your sponsor can serve as a mentor too.
Conclusion
Addictions aren’t harmful to the addict alone. Instead, they fracture friendships, poison relationships, and destroy people’s matrimonial affiliations. Besides tobacco and alcohol, people are obsessed with things such as eating and gambling. We have weed, heroin, and cocaine being consumed by millions as the most abused drugs in the country. In 2017, Pew Research revealed that almost 46% of Americans had a close friend or family member suffering from drug addiction. Overcoming your addiction begins when an addict admits they have a habit. Several treatment options help addicts regulate their obsession. You can find a new hobby, try working out more often, and start journaling to become a free spirit.