Fighting Negative Addictions

Fighting Negative Addictions

Acknowledging you have a negative addiction.

This may be the hardest part of recovery as you cannot correct a problem- if in your mind and heart no problem exists to be fixed. Some addictions are easier to identify than others and some can be considered controlled vices for many years before you have come to realize the true impact it has on your life. Some addictions creep into your life as fun and harmless forms of entertainment and slowly but surely become a thing you cannot live without. Drugs, risky sex, alcohol, spending money frivolously, cursing, etc. just to name a few. Do you recognize your dependency on these addictions? Is the dependency positive and rewarding in the long run? Can you identify when and why you turn to these addictions? What are you running from? What are you trying to bury instead of confronting? Have your close friends or family complained about the impact of this addiction on your personal relationships with them or others? Have you lost loved ones due to this addiction?  What have you sacrificed to obtain this addiction? What was the opportunity cost?  

Make a decision to act on the addiction.

Now that you have acknowledged there is a negative addiction that has its claws in you, do you want to correct it? Do you accept that the addiction is in control of you and you are not in control of the addiction? Have you had enough of dealing with the consequences and repercussions of your decisions?  Do you want the opportunity to mend broken relationships? Ready to rebuild a healthier relationship with yourself?

Taking action steps to confront and overcome the addiction.

Address the root cause. This can be done by deep diving into your life and past yourself and find not only where this problem began but look for key moments in your life where you decided you needed some type of escape for coping. It may not have been the alcohol 20 years ago, could have been cleaning excessively, then it morphed into substance abuse. Do you see it?  Is it from your childhood, a heartbreak, never being able to deal with your emotions? Its time to take action on steps to help identify the Why’s and When’s and How’s to overcome.

Detox. Refrain. Substance abuse treatment center are also an option at low to no cost. Recognizing and understanding that taking the action steps to recover can be extremely painful emotionally and physically. Rehab. Do you have a therapist/counselor you can refer to? Many jobs offer some sort of service by which employees have a limited number of free sessions for these types of services. There are also some therapists (online and in person) who offer low cost or free services for group or individual sessions.

Recovery.

Transitioning back into your normal life after rehabilitation can be hard. This may be where you have to address those apologies due from you to others. This is where you enter the real world and have to potentially be in similarly stressful situations but need to use your newfound recovery steps to manage where the addiction once took over. You will need to sometimes separate yourself from people, places and things who are triggers and are quick to provide satisfaction to your cravings. You can build a support network by way of support groups and continued therapy. You are more likely to manage your recovery successfully when you have the support you need after rehab.