Over 21 million Americans have an addiction. Battling this disease can destroy lives, marriages, friendships, and careers.
Overcoming addiction doesn’t just happen in treatment. About 40-60 percent of people with drug and alcohol addictions relapse. To avoid relapse, it’s important to take addition stops while fighting addiction.
Check out some ways to help you or a loved one move on and win the battle against addiction.
Stay Away from Temptation
This may sound easier than it is. You need to stay away from temptation. You don’t want to be in familiar places or find a trigger that spirals an addiction. There are many activities that do not involve a bar.
Good friends will help you move forward and not set you back. It’s best to avoid people that can trigger bad habits. You want to be around people that encourage you and understand you are working to change your life.
Exercise and Take Care of Yourself
Try replacing your bad habit with a healthy one. Workouts can help fight depression and relieve stress by releasing endorphins that make you feel good. You will start feeling better and looking better, which is a win for your self-esteem.
Eat healthy food to help you feel good.
Take Small Steps
It takes time to break a pattern and develop new ones. If you were used to pouring a drink, it will be hard to just stop drinking after alcohol rehab.
Set small attainable goals that you can reach. You can then assess how you are doing and get the needed motivation to keep moving forward.
Distractions
You need to think of activities to help keep your mind off of that drink, drug, pill, or whatever else. Try things like:
- Do some puzzles
- Read
- Walk the dog
- Watch a movie
- Get a new hobby like art, music lessons, learn a foreign language, or build something
- Play cards
- Spend time in nature
- Gardening
- Get involved in the community
- Adopt a pet
Anytime you have an urge, find something else to do instead. Go mow the lawn or exercise. Find anything to do to take your mind off your craving.
Get New Friends
It’s important to have someone to keep you safe. You need a reminder that things will get better. You should have a few numbers you can call to remind you that you are strong and the urges will go away.
It’s important to be accountable to someone. You need someone to check up on you and how you are feeling.
Love Yourself
If you relapse, don’t let it keep you down. No one is perfect. Loving yourself is key to fighting your addiction and bad habits.
Think about yourself at that moment. Ask yourself how each action will better you. Stop and think of how decisions will truly affect you.
Make notes to yourself to read. These notes can be your goals, things you are proud of, people you love, happy memories, or anything else that reminds you you can do this.
Keep Fighting Addiction
With the right will power and following this advice, you can keep fighting addiction and win. It’s important to find new healthy hobbies, make new friends, leave old temptations alone, and learn to love yourself again.
Check out other articles on our site to help you change your lifestyle and live the way you always wanted to. You can be a game-changer and find happiness.