Once you acknowledge addiction the next step is to seek help. After receiving the right kind of support, it is important to follow up with the treatment. It requires a lifetime of caring and concern. You should assess how willing you are to make changes to your way of life. This depends on how serious the addiction is and how much of your life has been spent on this addiction. Being honest is the first and most crucial step. After honesty comes strong will power and access to means. Going into the treatment with a clear idea of what is expected out of it, is essential. You should go into the treatment completely prepared with the consequences.
- 1. Identify your purpose: Focus on a purposeful task like overcoming an addiction. Also identify the purpose with which you are dealing with the addiction. Whether it is for a loved one, a future event, or to repent for the past. At the same time, look at what was your purpose when you were indulging in your addiction, once you get to the root of what lead you to the addictive behavior, you will be able to link with your past, present and future.[distance1]
- 2. Use all methods of coping: Instead of going the regular way and just trying to break bad habits, it would prove more useful to replace them with new, productive habits. These act as alternative techniques to overcome an addiction. If you take away some addictive behaviors and replace it with a positive one, it will take away anxiety and give you a purpose to fight with.
- 3. Have a strong support system: Being accountable to people who will track your progress and for whom you are going the extra mile to overcome such addiction will increase the onus of responsibility on you. It will encourage you to take even more effort.
- 4. Keep positive messages: Keep positive messages for display for yourself. These can be from friends, family and loved ones or inspirational thoughts that act as motivating messages. These will create a positive atmosphere for recovery and continued reclamation.
- 5. Rationality: Instead of denying the problem or letting your lack of focus take over the recovery, it is important to be rational about the treatment. Don’t put unnecessary expectations on the recovery program and have a rational perspective about the whole process.
- 6. Define goals: Define short-term and long-term goals for your recovery. These will help keep you focused and remind you of the larger picture of life. Short term goals can be making your own meal, while long term goals can be getting your old job back or making amends with an estranged family member.
- 7. Identify danger zones: Mark what kinds of behaviors or environments prompt you to go back to those habits. What particular time of day or place nudges you to pick up alcohol or smoking or any other addictive substances. Replace those with positive tasks, like breathing exercises, meditation or painting. If you can replace these danger zones with positive zones, your recovery will be speedy and will last longer.
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