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Addiction is something that grows on you until it finally takes hold. There are several substances and addictive outlets that you can be caught in, but at some point, you realize that this isn’t the life that you want to lead, and you seek out ways to break free.
It’s easier said than done because your body and mind are committed to the lifestyle. It takes incredible will, along with the help of professionals and proven strategies, to get beyond what has trapped you for so long.
Are you ready to come out the other side of your dependence? This is how to overcome long-term addiction.
Addiction is hard, but there are many reasons for that. To recover from it, it is important to understand what is happening inside your body because you can better navigate the recovery process with greater insight.
Substances negatively affect the neurotransmitters that regulate mood, reward and pleasure. This leads to intense cravings that reinforce the addiction. Over time, your brain adapts to this new normal and needs the substance to function normally, causing withdrawal symptoms.
Along with addiction, there is often an underlying issue of mental health. This can include depression, anxiety, trauma and stress, so the substance may have started as a coping mechanism. These disorders need to be addressed to facilitate recovery.
Familiar settings with people and places reignite the cravings that are too intense to ignore. Cravings, as mentioned above, are the body requiring the intoxicant to function in its chemically flooded state. These cravings can last long and wear you down until you give in.
Often, despite your wanting to quit and steps to try, the addiction is just too big to overcome, especially when it is long-term. The best path forward in these cases is to contact an addiction treatment centre. Many offer support and treatment with track records of breaking people free from their addictions. They have proven scientific methods with medical professionals trained to diagnose and treat you with care and compassion.
You can see if they have an outpatient treatment plan or in-patient care to get you off of your substance. There are different treatment options, including:
There are different types of addiction, which can vary in severity. The life you are currently living is producing the current outcome, so to overcome addiction, you need to make serious changes. This may mean moving to a new living arrangement, hanging out with different friends and adopting healthy activities.
This type of change will be extremely difficult, so you need support to help you out. If you have someone at your job that is a trigger, consider leaving that position for something else. Anyone who is a part of your addictive lifestyle needs to be removed from your life so you can build a new one.
When you try to stop any addictive behaviour, it will leave a void of time, and unless you fill it, you will be drawn back to the familiar.
Consider joining a gym and having a bag in the car ready to go. When you feel the urge to exercise, jump in the car and go weight training for an hour or two. The same method can be used for other healthy activities like hiking, swimming, or sports.
Set up a friendship network that you can call when you need help. They know that when you contact them, you are struggling and want someone to help them through it. They can meet you to do an activity or be a loving, supportive voice on the other end. Stay with them until your cravings pass, and then thank them for their help.
Some treatment plans will continue past the original addiction to help you with coping mechanisms so there isn’t any relapse. They can also help you with the underlying causes of your addiction with mental health and trauma healing modalities for lasting peace in your life.
Ultimately, treating you beyond your addiction is a true path to recovery, so seek out a healing centre to provide a supportive environment that can positively change your life.
This is how to overcome long-term addiction. These steps lead you down a path to recovery, but they require your willingness to participate. You will know when you are ready, and then you can walk along the path to restoring your mind and body, bringing the peace you seek.
