If you are thinking of curing your addiction or are already on the road to recovery, I wish you good luck and continued strength to see your decision through to success. Here are four steps you need to help kick the habit.
1. Identify your problem behaviors
The first step to solving the problem is admitting there is a problem. People in the throes of addiction will accept that they are addicted to something long before they will admit it’s a problem. They think, “OK, so I’m using more often than I should, but it’s fine, I still have everything under control.” This is the attitude of high functioning addicts, and they will find any excuse to justify their actions. Eventually, addiction will always take a toll on your health and life one way or another. The consequences can be permanent if not stopped in time.
2. Replace bad habits with good habits
After accepting that you have a problem the next step is to take action! The sooner the better, because the longer you are addicted to something the harder it will be to shake it off. You need to replace your bad habits with good ones. Be aware of your actions, when you are about to indulge in vice, stop and say to yourself, “I’m feeding the problem, the more I feed it the more it will grow.” Think of other things to occupy yourself with, go for a walk, water the garden, or be around people who will not let you feed your addiction. If you can replace your addictive habits with good ones consistently then you are reinforcing those good actions and soon they will be your new habits.
3. Get professional help
The act of replacing bad habits with good ones in essence is the key to breaking the addiction cycle. It’s a straight forward and simple concept but it’s not easy to achieve. This is where drug rehab centers like Milestone Health and Wellness can help you get results. Some people can manage without professional help but their journey is usually longer and harder because they need to figure out what works and what doesn’t on their own. It’s like getting the perfect beach body, all you have to do is diet and and exercise; simple. However if you look at professional athletes, models, and actors, they all enlist the help of dieticians, nutritionists, and training coaches to get them into shape. For addiction, getting professional treatment will help you explore the root cause of your bad habits as well as help work through unresolved issues. If you want to beat the problem, you have to understand the problem. Entering into rehab also minimizes the chances of giving into temptation because you are monitored and held accountable for your actions.
4. Practice healthy habits consistently
If replacing bad habits with good ones is the key to break the addiction cycle, then consistency is the lock that keeps addiction out. Consistency is a powerful thing and is a major ingredient for success in any endeavor, from business or learning a musical instrument, and freeing yourself from addiction. You will not get the results you want with out consistency. Consistency is so powerful that a drop of water falling on a stone given enough time will erode the stone. If you are constant with replacing your bad habits with good ones, then that stone in your life will eventually crumble and the weight will be gone. Consistency, consistency, consistency!
If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, contact Milestone Health and Wellness here.
Get the help you need today!