With the Right Support, There is Hope in Addiction Recovery
Although nobody plans to become addicted, once you begin using drugs or abusing alcohol, the problem can sneak up on you before you spot the warning signs and cause your life to spiral out of control. Feeling shame, frustration and a range of other negative emotions is normal, but learning to accept yourself is one of the most critical elements in the recovery process.
As you move forward in recovery, you will learn how to know when you are addicted and what options are available to you. You will also discover the problems that addiction can cause for you and the people you love. With the help of a variety of therapies and techniques, you will be able to learn the best ways to deal with your addiction in order to take your life back. While it may seem daunting in the beginning, finding hope in addiction recovery is possible.
Learn the Red Flags
Learning about the red flags of addiction will help you decide if you need to get help, but you need to approach the situation with an open mind. No one wants to admit that they are addicted to something. As a result, people often stay in denial.
If you’d like to improve, you will need to take an objective look at where you stand. When something consumes your life and impacts your relationships or job but you don’t change your behavior, you are probably addicted. Without making excuses for yourself, try to stop doing the thing to which you are addicted to see how easy it is. If you have trouble, it is time to look for help so that you can defeat your addiction for good.
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The Problems with Addiction
Being addicted to drugs, alcohol or anything else can impact your life in ways that you might not realize. If you’re addicted to drinking, you may spend all of your money on drinks and not have enough to pay your bills on time. Drinking in excess may also make it difficult for you to maintain your jobs, causing you to lose their source of income.
When addiction controls your life, losing friends is unfortunately common because they won’t know how to help and don’t like seeing you in that condition. The problems with addiction usually start small and progress over time, which is why you might not detect them until it’s too late.
Find Your Motivation
Since addiction creates a powerful motivation to make negative choices, you need to find an even stronger motivation to overcome the problem and to move on with your life. You can use a pen and sheet of paper to write down the way that your life will likely look if you continue on the same path. You will also want to write down the ways your life can improve if you make smart choices and defeat your addiction. Hanging the sheet of paper on your bedroom door so that you will see it each day will help you stay clean.
Form a Network of Support
Overcoming addiction without help is nearly impossible, and you will waste a lot of time if you choose that path. You will probably rationalize why indulging in your addiction is not an issue, but it’s not your fault. Addiction can alter your perspective and make it hard to think clearly, but having a strong network of support will help. For the best results possible, choose people who have faced their own addictions and found a way out. When your addiction is getting the best of you, reaching out to your network can prevent you from returning to bad habits. You may also find it helpful to reach out to those who helped you fight addiction the first time to help you avoid relapse.
Turn to God
When addiction takes everything out of your life and leaves you with nothing, losing faith is easier than most people realize. But you need to know that God would never put you in a situation that He could not save you from. You will need to turn to Him if you want His help. Take some time to pray each day and to ask Him to show you what you must do to find salvation, and you will be surprised. You will need to remain alert to new opportunities because God can give you solutions in places you least expect to find them. More than anything, put your faith and trust in Him and He will show you the way.
Become a Part of Something Bigger Than Yourself
When you want to overcome your addiction, becoming a part of something that is bigger than yourself is a powerful way to get the job done. You can look for causes or organizations in which you believe and wish to support, or you can start your own. Doing so will keep your mind busy and give you even more motivation to stay clean because you won’t be the only one to get hurt if you relapse. You can look through the newspaper or search online to find great organizations that would be glad to have your help.
Get Inpatient Care
Before your addiction takes your life, inpatient addiction treatment can help. Going to an inpatient facility will remove you from temptation and surround you with caring experts who are dedicated to your success. When you come to St. Gregory Recovery Center for support and guidance, we will get to know you and find a method that fits your unique needs, optimizing your odds of reaching a favorable outcome. Hope and healing are what you can expect when you turn to us and seek recovery from addiction, and we invite you to take action right away.
