Most addicts have an I-can-stop-whenever-I-want attitude that only makes their addiction worse. Due to this behavior, what started as mere entertainment or experimentation soon transforms into a serious addiction. The biggest hurdle between an addict and quitting is their denial of being an addict. They continue using without realizing they are becoming addicted to the substance. It may be too late to stop by the time they realize, and then quitting becomes challenging. They may think they can quit anytime, but it becomes a lot harder than they expected over time.
In this article, we have discussed why quitting is a challenge and then shared a few tips to make quitting addiction slightly less challenging.
Why Is Quitting Addiction a Challenge?
Quitting addiction can be more challenging than one would expect. When we get addicted to a substance, it affects the brain’s reward system and alters it significantly. The more we use a substance, the more we become immune to its effect. As a result, we develop a tolerance against the substance, and we need to use it more to get the desired effect.
The effect of an addictive substance on the brain’s frontal cortex makes an addict lose control and become more impulsive. Moreover, when their mind relives a memory of their previous euphoric episode, they start craving the drug again.
Due to such psychological changes, quitting an addictive substance or behavior can be challenging. However, it is not impossible to stop if you have a plan and some help.
For instance, if you have realized you have a problem, you need to find a center near you and start your recovery process. The quicker you do it, the better chances you have for recovery.
A few other tips to help you quit an addiction are discussed in detail below:
- Reflect On Your Addiction
Admitting that you have an addiction is the hardest part of recovery. If you have done that, the rest of the steps become relatively easier.
Before starting your recovery, take time to reflect on your addiction. You can keep a daily journal to plan out positive changes, note negative effects, and pen down your quitting commitments. This journal should contain everything you want to keep a record of, like your patterns, triggers, and other motivators.
When you sit down with yourself to reflect on how addiction has affected you and your loved ones, it will help you quit with more passion.
- Identify Your Triggers
The next tip for quitting an addiction is to identify your triggers. You can make a mental note of all your triggers or jot them down in your recovery journal. There are several triggers for addiction, including but not limited to stress, psychological and physical illnesses, environmental factors, unattended emotions, social isolation, etc.
Identifying these triggers is essential to learn how to manage them by developing healthy coping mechanisms. Otherwise, you won’t be able to break the cycle and fall into old patterns in no time.
- Change Your Environment
Sometimes your environment is a solid contributor to your addiction habits. Besides, quitting alone is not enough if you keep living in the same environment with the same routine and company in some cases. The chances of relapsing in such situations are much higher.
You can make your recovery much smoother and healthier by changing your environment. It means you need to avoid those places, people, and habits that can trigger your urge to start using again. How you spend your free time and who you spend it with has a significant impact on your recovery. So, make sure you prioritize your recovery over any self-sabotaging behaviors.
- Exercise
One of the best tips for healthily quitting is to start exercising. Exercise is an excellent source of releasing endorphins naturally and improving your health. It also helps restore the brain’s normal functioning, reduce stress, improve sleeping patterns, enhances self-esteem, and minimize cravings.
When you exercise, you provide your body with all the feel-good hormones while working up a sweat. As a result, your urge to use again significantly reduces and ultimately subsides.
- Seek Professional Support
Sometimes nothing seems to be working for you to quit an addiction, especially if your addiction has advanced. In such cases, professional help becomes a necessity.
If you feel like you need to get professional help, look for rehabilitation centers or recovery homes near you. You can easily get the required support from these centers in the form of therapy, medications, and other means of treatment.
So, find a reliable and well-reputed center and get the support to complete your recovery journey successfully.
The Bottom Line
Addiction is a menace that slowly ruins an individual’s health and social relations. It does not allow them to live everyday life and enjoy everyday things. While quitting addiction poses challenges of its own, it is not an impossible feat. All you need is some willpower, strong commitment, and the support of your loved ones. Once you commit to quitting, the road to recovery becomes a lot easier than you expected. However, consistency and persistence are vital to quitting because you may experience hard days. So, make a commitment to yourself and start your recovery process to live a healthier and happier life.
