(Akiit.com) After a busy week at work, many of us can’t wait to return home and kick back with a glass of wine. There is nothing wrong with the odd drink, of course. But what happens if that one glass of wine or beer ends up becoming five or six? And then your weekly drink could turn into something you rely on every evening. If you find your alcohol consumption is increasing, and you are finding it hard to stay away from drink, you could be suffering from addiction.
And it isn’t just alcohol that you can easily become addicted to. Other common ones to watch out for are addictions to smoking, food, and gambling. There also has been a rise in Ecstasy Addiction. They all can each be dangerous, just in different ways. A food addiction leads to obesity. Smoking causes cancer. Gambling can see your debts spiral out of control. However, a drug addiction can be potentially worse than all these. Not only is it damaging to your health, but it can also ruin your life by eating into your finances. Eventually, you will develop a one-track mind that can only think about drugs.
The first step to getting help with your addiction is to admit that you have a problem. This isn’t as easy as it first sounds, as many addicts refuse to believe that they are ill. One of the easiest ways to tell if you are addicted is to look at how important the substance has become in your life. Do you find that you need to drink alcohol every day? Or that you are constantly looking for new ways to gamble your money? If the substance or activity is taking the priority in your life, then you are likely to be addicted already.
Another way of judging whether or not you are addicted is to see if you have a reward response. You will have a reward response if you feel better once you have had the substance or taken part in the activity. The bigger reward you feel, the higher your reward response. Another way to tell is if it makes you feel in control. During an addiction, you may feel like you lose control of your life if you go for a long time without a drink, smoke, gamble etc.
Worried that you have an addiction? There is no point waiting until the addiction takes complete control of your life to take action. Try and ditch it as soon as possible before it is too late. Otherwise, your health, finances, and relationships could be put at risk. So if you are interested to know how to quit and addiction, read on. The main steps are summed up below!
- Give Yourself Reasons
There need to be reasons why you should quit. These will give you a purpose and help motivate you along the way. The reasons can be anything you like. When it comes to addictions such as gambling, smoking, and drugs, saving money is a very good one. These activities are very expensive. Once you give up, you will find that your bank balance will be as healthy as your health! Another important reason many people have is that their addiction is causing a breakdown in their relationships. Not just romantic relationships, but with family relations and friends. Often, addicts have very short tempers and can be erratic. Even around the ones they love. So take the strain off your relationships and quit your addiction. But, of course, the main reason many people quit is that of health issues. Drinking too much can lead to liver and kidney diseases. Drug addiction is extremely risky and can lead to a myriad of illnesses and diseases. If you don’t stop your addiction before it’s too late, you’ll be putting your life at risk.
- Talk To Your Friends And Family
If your addiction has taken a turn for the worse, your friends and family probably already have an idea. However, if it is not yet public, they should know exactly what you are going through. You should talk to them about it, whether they already know or not. Not only that, tell them that you have decided to go clean. They will be able to support you and help you through the coming recovery period. If they know that you are trying to stay away from certain things, then they can help you stay on the straight and narrow. For example, tell them that you are giving up alcohol. That way they will know not to tempt you with drinks or try and drag you for a night out. If they clear their home of any alcohol, they will be doing you a big favor. Throughout the recovery process, your friends and family will be there to help you stay in control. If things ever get too much, and you ever feel like returning to your addiction, you should give your loved ones a call. They will be able to give you reasons why you should stay clean and remind you why you are trying to ditch your addiction.
- Go Cold Turkey
One of the most effective ways to get clean is to go completely cold turkey. This means you stop consuming a certain substance or taking part in a certain activity completely. Sometimes, people reduce their use of things over a period of time. However, this runs the risk of falling back into a complete addiction. Most people find it much more effective to kick the habit for good and go cold turkey. There is one major downside to this, though. You can experience very strong withdrawal symptoms. These are very unpleasant physical and mental side effects that are experienced during the process of coming clean. As your body was reliant on alcohol, smoking, drugs, etc. it will come as a shock to it when you are no longer using these substances. Some of the most common withdrawal symptoms are anxiety, insomnia, sweating, and muscle tensions. Even though the whole withdrawal process can be very unpleasant, it is doing your body the world of good. In the end, you will be completely detoxed, and there will no longer be any harmful substances and toxins in your body. To find out more, you can learn about detoxification here.
- Find Alternative Ways To Cope
We are all creatures of comfort, and it is impossible to break habits. So you will find that you need to replace your addiction with a safer habit. You will have been using your addiction as a way to cope with the troubles and stresses of life. Now that you are done being an addict, you will need to find alternative ways to cope. Ways that are harmless to your lifestyle. By doing so, you will find it easy to deal with everyday life. Not sure what to replace your addiction with? Think about healthy activities, such as exercise and relaxation techniques. How about signing up for your local gym or learning about mindfulness?
- Adopt A Healthy Lifestyle
If you follow a healthy lifestyle, then you will find it much easier to put an end to your addiction. Your addiction will have almost certainly taken its toll on your body. Most addicts are underweight and even suffer from malnutrition. This does not put them in a good place for getting over their habit. So, to make it easy for yourself, get healthy once you decide to become clean. That means taking up more exercise. Not only is exercise great for your physical wellbeing, but it can also help your mind. It will give you something to focus on, taking your mind off the horrible withdrawal symptoms it may be experiencing. It is also very important to stick to a healthy diet. This will give your body all the nutrients it requires to get back into shape. Cut out sugary and fatty foods from your diet. These can be very addictive! Instead, replace them with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Try to limit yourself to only eating lean meats, such as chicken and turkey. There are also many non-meat protein sources that are good for you, including lentils and beans. Once you start to eat healthily, you will find that your immune system will increase and you will be less likely to fall sick. Not only that but because you will start to feel better on the inside, this will show on the outside as well! Your confidence will increase and you will even look like a completely new you! No doubt your friends and family members will see a difference almost instantly!
The road to recovery after an addiction can be a very rocky one indeed. Many recovering addicts slip up at least once. If this happens to you, it is important to get back on track as soon as possible. If necessary, sign up for a Largo rehab program to help you see the light at the end of the tunnel. The benefits of kicking an addiction are endless. It is totally worth it!
Staff Writer; Charles Smith