By Mashum Mollah
At its most basic, the addictive use of alcohol and drugs is just a habit. It’s one that has both mental and physical components, but it’s one that you can break. Like any other pattern of behavior that you need to change, there are quite a few components to addressing the habitual use of substances. Here’s a quick look at a couple of tips that can help you with doing just that.
Give Up:
This might sound counterintuitive, but it’s based on the idea of surrendering personal control to a higher power that is often discussed in some of the best prescription drug rehab programs. Taking responsibility for your actions is also a critical aspect of growing while in recovery. One of the best ways to ground yourself for your new life, when you might not be too sure which decisions will bring you closer to relapse and which decisions will make you stronger, is simply to give up the idea that you should or even can control every single aspect of your life.
Ask for Help:
At the outset, when your sense of emotional and moral balance is out of whack, it can be helpful to find professionals to treat prescription drugs, illicit drugs, or alcohol abuse and just let them guide you. If you aren’t sure whether living with a particular roommate or going back to your previous home is a good choice following treatment, a good thing to do would be to have a conversation with your therapist. If you’re having a difficult time trying to decide if a potential job will be a good fit for your current life, talk to your case manager or counselor about it.
Handle What’s in Front of You:
It’s simple to bog yourself down attempting to manage all of the issues that arose during your active addiction or even to worry about things that might or might not occur while you try to build yourself a new life as a recovering addict. The good news is that you don’t need to do either of these things. Just let your worries go and handle what’s staring you in the face. Do one simple thing at a time. If you’re the type who struggles when trying to approach life this way, have trouble prioritizing what needs to be done, and/or have high levels of stress or anxiety, there are still things you can do.
- Find something to focus on that’s positive.
- Practice meditation, yoga, or other types of holistic measures for stress relief.
- Discuss medications with your psychiatrist if your anxiety is so bad that you suffer from insomnia or panic attacks.
- Work with your life coach to come up with an actionable plan as well as a daily schedule that can provide a bit more structure.
Finally, it might be helpful during this time of your life to connect with other people who’re also trying to break the habit. You can help each other by offering support during difficult times and by sharing your successes along the way.
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