Dealing with and overcoming an addiction is a big step. It is a monumental decision that you should be proud of reaching if you are committed to the rehabilitation process.
Addiction is a complicated and invasive condition, which impacts judgement, impulses, behaviours, and mood. It also alters the internal reward system, inducing cravings, deteriorating mental health, and causing the internal disparity.
Due to the changes caused by substance abuse, difficulties are expected. It can be tough to withdraw, minimise relapse risks, control addictive behaviours and adjust to sobriety. Yet it is possible with a helping hand, dedication, addiction treatment and planning.
Dealing with an addiction is possible by acknowledging that you have a problem and by taking action. Action will include various treatments and therapies to detox, restore and prepare for recovery. Overcoming an addiction will be a post-rehab commitment, focusing on relapse prevention, long-term recovery, and leading a happy and healthy life. Reaching a level of comfort and fulfilment is possible, as addiction can be treated and managed.
Obstacles may pop up, relapse risks may even surface, yet with commitment, support, and a plan of action, you can deal with and overcome addiction. Here are some tips on how to deal with and overcome addiction, including the type of treatment on offer here at Asana Lodge.
Why quitting is difficult
Quitting drugs or alcohol is recognised as a difficult goal. Both are extremely addictive and adapt how the brain operates. They disrupt communication throughout the central nervous system, target the frontal cortex, and overstimulate the reward circuit. Drugs and alcohol ultimately impact the way that emotions are regulated, the way that decisions are made, and the way that reward is perceived.
As the consumption of either is seen as a reward or an escape for most addicts, quitting can be tough. This battle is a clear sign of a drug addiction or alcohol addiction, where the highs are craved even whilst grave consequences arise.
As consumption is associated with a positive feeling, changing how the brain response can be very difficult, making it challenging to stop the cycle. It can however be stopped by completing addiction treatment, withdrawing from drugs and alcohol, and managing their future associations.
The addiction recovery process can be worked through and benefited from. Whilst it can take some time to quit and overcome an addiction, it is possible. Due to how complicated and unpredictable addiction is, quitting should always be a professionally guided and personalised process.
Here’s how to deal with and overcome addiction with professional input.
Tips for dealing with and overcoming an addiction
Facing up to a drug or alcohol problem and seeing through the recovery process can be tough. There are some unexpected turns to the process, differing the experience for each recovering addict.
There are however some expected steps, milestones, and goals to the addiction recovery process. Each makes up the road towards overcoming your addiction and regaining control. Here are some tips to deal with and overcome addiction, fulfilling core treatments, commitments, and decisions.
Dealing with the reality
It’s understandably challenging to deal with the reality of addiction. Many users do in fact live in denial or attempt to ignore their cravings and symptoms. Whilst living in denial may help to block out immediate negatives, it will make it harder to deal with an addiction in the long term.
Instead, dealing with the reality of your problems, as soon as you possibly can, will help to improve your experiences and life at a quicker rate. Acknowledgement is one of the hardest yet most fulfilling steps to take. Once you’ve dealt with and faced up to your reality, you’ll be ready to take action and overcome your addictive behaviours.
Accepting support
Once you’re committed to getting better, accepting support is highly recommended. Quitting drugs or alcohol can be tough without completing treatment and without accessing professional guidance.
The support of your friends or family, peers and professionals will make sure that you have the resources, motivations, and steps to recover.
Completing addiction treatment
Addiction treatment services are designed to treat addiction on a comprehensive basis. They help to disassociate drugs and alcohol on physical and psychological levels. Effective treatment services and behavioural therapies are also in place to help addicts overcome the positives and slowly devalue their presence.
A wide range of evidence-based treatment services are available through drug and alcohol rehab. At Asana Lodge, we make use of scientifically accredited and backed addiction treatments, to support our clients through the recovery process. To deal with and overcome addiction, some of the following treatments should be completed.
- Detoxification, to work through cravings and withdrawal symptoms, and to disassociate the body
- Behavioural therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, to disassociate the mind
- Stress management, to regain control over feelings and responses
- In some cases, dual diagnosis treatments, to treat coinciding mental health and addiction issues
- Support groups, to increase accountability and experience a network of peer support
- Holistic therapies, including satori chair therapy to improve wellbeing and susceptibility to sober living
- Relapse prevention planning and aftercare, to plan for the future and to be aware of relapse risks
Managing withdrawal
Drug and alcohol withdrawal is one of the hardest steps of the recovery process. It is an ongoing step, which must be managed on a long-term basis to reduce the risks of future consumption.
Knowing how to deal with and overcome addiction is very important, as there’s more to it than quitting consumption. There are various treatments, supportive techniques and prescription medications that can be effective whilst managing long-term withdrawal.
The process should always be medically assisted, to make sure that the body and brain can cope without ongoing exposure.
Avoiding Relapse
Relapse is a misunderstood step of the recovery process. It is expected at some point for most people, in one way or another. Relapse is recognised as a failure. It is instead a warning sign that greater treatment, change, or focus are required to lead a sober life.
Avoiding relapse is something to focus on, by being educated, implementing some preventive measures and reaching a point where sober living is sustainable. Yet to reach this milestone, it may take some testing, some changes, and some lessons.
To deal with and overcome addiction will mean that sobriety becomes part and parcel of life. Relapse prevention planning and aftercare will be helpful whilst working through the journey.
Making Changes
To accommodate sobriety, changes will be required to your lifestyle, associations, and mindset. Everything from environments, relationships, routines, coping strategies, diet, and hobbies will need to be changed to support sober living.
Change must be sustainable in order to manage addiction for the long term. As it can reoccur through high-risk situations or a lack of control, everything about life should be managed to advance long-term recovery.
Over time, the recovery process will ease, helping you normalise sobriety.
Addiction recovery can be an unpredictable process, materialising differently for each client. Yet with a rehabilitation programme in place, catered around individual needs, success rates can increase. Being aware of how to deal with and overcome addiction is a strong starting point. By reaching out to our team at Asana Lodge, we can then help you get started with the addiction recovery process via drug and alcohol rehab.
