Addictions are part of the most frequent health problems, and unfortunately, they also stand out for being very harmful both for the person who develops them and for their environment. Furthermore, breaking this cycle of dependency and substance use is not easy.
Therefore, every day there are many people who consider the following: “I know I want to quit drugs, but… how can I do it without ending up relapsing?” Here we will see several tips to achieve this.
Quit drugs and overcome addiction: 6 key ideas to achieve it
Each case is unique, but in general, it is helpful to have some basic guidelines about what to do if you want to overcome a drug addiction. This is a summary of what to do.
1. Start a treatment with a professional
If you want to leave drug addiction behind while minimizing your chances of relapse as much as possible, you will need to undergo treatment offered by health professionals; and if what you have become “hooked on” is an illegal hard drug or alcohol, you should go as soon as possible assuming that this is the only way out.
The ideal is that you have both medical coverage and psychotherapeutic assistance: Don’t forget that addictions are not simply chemical processes, but a good part of their existence is due to the fact that when going through them we internalize behavioral patterns that favor their persistence and that we reproduce without realizing it: always passing through an area of bars returning from work, talking especially with other addicted people, etc. Psychotherapy will allow you to both identify these problematic behaviors and mental processes and manage them and replace these elements with other ways of living day to day that keep us away from drugs: it is like a training process.
On the other hand, keep in mind that the criteria of the professionals who supervise your case is always the one that prevails and the one that you should follow above this advice, since they will offer you tailored solutions knowing your case and its particularities.
2. Commit to the quit date
Some people need to give themselves some time before taking the step of permanently stopping using. However, it is necessary to set a deadline in the short or medium term (within a few days) so that “leaving it for another day” does not become an excuse.
It is advisable regularly have a reminder of that deadline in sight to take advantage of that temporary barrier and use it as a self-motivation tool.
3. Don’t put emphasis on repressing, but on redirecting your interests and attention
The risk of relapse is greater if we perceive the process of leaving addiction behind as a form of sacrifice This type of mental scheme feeds the idea that only the “virtuous” can overcome this health problem, which generates a self-fulfilling prophecy that works against us: the discomfort itself is experienced as a sign of that sacrifice, and at the same time as a sign that we are not “strong” enough to fulfill that mission.
Therefore, instead of focusing on repressing the desire to consume, assume the philosophy of overcoming addiction by finding new sources of gratification, new stimulating experiences capable of capturing your attention and allowing you to concentrate on them without harming your health. .
4. Take steps to prevent all forms of addiction
People who have developed an addiction are very vulnerable to the risk of developing other addictions For example, among those who frequently use cocaine there is also a greater risk of developing alcoholism, and vice versa. These pathologies reinforce each other.
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5. Get used to recognizing the thoughts that lead you to use
If you can learn to quickly identify these thoughts, feelings and mental images that tempt you, You will be able to neutralize them without letting them serve as an excuse to relapse
6. Adapt to the rhythms of the process of overcoming addiction
Each phase of the process of overcoming an addiction works at different “rhythms.” At first you have to get mentally prepared and take the step of cutting consumption, an “all or nothing” action; Then you have to know how to manage the withdrawal syndrome and detoxify yourself at a time of special physical discomfort, and finally you have to avoid relapses by learning to quickly recognize the thoughts and actions that self-sabotage us and expose us to the risk of using again. , adopting new habits and new patterns of behavior from which to relate to the environment and to others.
Are you looking for psychological support against addictions?
If you are affected by an addictive problem, I invite you to contact me I am a psychologist specialized in the cognitive-behavioral model and I offer my services to individuals and companies either in person (in my office in Madrid) or through online sessions.
