There are innumerable people across the globe who struggle with addiction, and long dream of finally breaking free of their cycle of addiction to start a new life which embraces a healthy lifestyle, both physically and emotionally.
The road to recovery can seem daunting at first, but the right combination of treatments, this doesn’t have to be a road that you journey down alone. From professional treatment and rehab to attending AA meetings, turning your life around and forging a new, healthier life doesn’t have to be the unattainable prospect that it can be in your darkest moments. One of the first things that you need to do to overcome addiction is to identify and figure out ways to combat the cycle of addiction. This involves comprehending the various behavioural patterns of people combating drug addiction, alcohol addiction, or any other addiction.
Identifying The Cycle
Absolutely anyone can fall prey to the cycle of addiction, and chances are that you will know someone who suffers from an addiction of one form or another or may be suffering yourself. Addiction can cause people to feel progressively more isolated and alone, and make it seem that there is no way out of the cycle.
If you are experiencing such feelings then it is important to first identify your problematic behaviours, be it your dependency on drugs, alcohol, food, or anything negatively impacting your physical and mental health. Common elements of an addictive cycle are: experiencing a craving, seeking out that craving, engaging with the craving, momentary fulfilment, regret, withdrawal — and then the process begins again.
However, once you have identified this pattern and have decided to commit to conquering your addiction, it can be beneficial to think of an alternative, healthier habits with which you can start to replace your negative habits while you plan out your recovery.
Plan Out Your Progress
There can be many things to consider when planning out your recovery, but seeking professional help is of paramount importance. Getting professional help and therapy, especially from a centre such as an Action Rehab Centre, can help you to look more closely at what it is that has led you to adopt these patterns of behaviour, which will often lay the key groundwork for a total recovery and rehabilitation.
Uncovering the root of a cyclical pattern of addictive behaviour and confronting this through therapy can allow you to build on this and work on positive long-term goals and short-term goals for your life which will have a better chance of success than without. Whether it be a loss of a loved one, a major life event, the loss of a job, or a break-up, understanding what has led you into a spiral of addiction is important. And, if you feel like you are stuck in a spiral from which there seems to be no escape, then you should reach out, as help is here.
Attend Treatment
Stressors in your daily life or emotional turmoil are common themes when it comes to people abandoning a healthy lifestyle in favour of drugs or alcohol. There is also no shame in this, as addiction can, and does, affect anyone; however, coping mechanisms such as these only feed the cycle of addiction. Realising that drugs, alcohol, or something such as over-eating is only worsening your current situation instead of helping you — as your brain can be fooled into thinking in such instances — means you’re on the right track. The next, and arguably most important, step is starting treatment.
A good thing to do to motivate yourself to take this step can be to make a list of why you want to start recovery. Perhaps you may want to repair a spoiled relationship with a loved one or a friend. Or, you may be concerned that your addiction is threatening your career, and in turn, threatening your employment situation which will only be financially worsened by dependency on drugs or alcohol.
Alternatively, you may simply be looking to better your lifestyle, lead a healthier life, and not feel at the behest of your addiction.
Set Goals And Stick To Them!
Setting goals can be a great way to plan out your recovery. However, simply setting a goal of “getting better” for instance, will not be as effective a motivator as setting specific goals with varying time frames. There can be a tendency for people, when setting themselves goals, to set broad and large-scale goals right from the off. Although, setting a variety of short-term, more attainable goals as well as long-term and more challenging goals can yield much better results!
For example, set yourself some specific short-term goals of, “This week I will attend an AA meeting” or “I will remain completely sober for two weeks.” Setting more achievable, yet still beneficial and important, goals will help motivate you on to more difficult challenges.
As well as these, you should also set yourself long-term goals such as, “I will remain sober for one year,” or, “I will forge more supportive and healthier relationships within my family.” Combining short-term goals with long-term goals allows the two to benefit one another and in turn you. Achieving a goal, be it small or large, you have set yourself can and will come to fill you with a better sense of fulfilment than the fleeting sensation from giving in to your addiction. This process of goal-setting is integral to the therapy processes and is something that can be made much easier with the help of Action Rehab.
Let Us Help Break Your Cycle Of Addiction
If you’re ready to begin a new chapter of your life, one where you are not beholden to a cycle of addiction, and one where you achieve bigger and better goals in all areas of your life, then do not hesitate to reach out to Action Rehab.
Whatever your addiction is, we are here to help you overcome it. With the use of one of our private rehabs, you will find your recovery journey to a healthy lifestyle a much easier road to travel down than done so alone. Let’s break your cycle of addiction today, and start a life that you want, not one that your addiction wants.
Posted on Friday, October 30th, 2020 at 9:00 am in Addiction, Latest News.
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