Powerful Tips on how to Overcome Addiction to Alcohol & Drugs. Learn the Consequences & How to get Help.

Inpatient medical detox and residential primary addiction treatment may be available at our affiliated facility at Level Up West Palm Beach Rehab.


How to Overcome Addiction?

Get a free mental health assessment and find out what treatment options are most suitable for you. Depending on the extent of secondary behavioral disorders such as addiction we can first help assess your condition and thereafter guide you to suitable treatment options.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse [1], 22.5 million people (8.5 percent of the U.S. population) aged 12 or older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem in 2014. Only 4.2 million (18.5 percent of those who needed treatment) received any substance use treatment in the same year. Of these, about 2.6 million people received treatment at specialty treatment programs.

Many people who suffer from primary mental health disorders also suffer from corresponding alcohol and drug addictions triggered by their emotional pain. Our specialists can help begin the diagnosis process for complex dual diagnosis behavioral disorders. Call to learn more.

No matter how far gone you are on the path of addiction, for many, there is always an inner voice telling you to find relief by changing your habits. You were not born to be enslaved by behavioral health nor drugs or alcohol illness. Read below to find answers on how to overcome addiction and related behavioral health disorders.

Are you ready to deal with behavioral health ailments including secondary alcohol or drug abuse problems? One small step is worth more than a thousand steps planned.  Don’t keep delaying the act of asking for help. Finding the courage to speak with an addiction professional may be the first most significant step on your journey to recovery.

The Consequences of Addiction

Addiction is characterized by the impulse to continue using despite the negative consequences.  People can act in ways they would never expect as a result of their addiction, which impacts every area of life:

  • Physical Health:   Substance abuse strains the nervous, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, causes organ damage and premature death. Intravenous drug users run the risk of contracting infectious diseases such as Hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS.
  • Mental Health:  Drug use can cause brain damage, paranoia, depression and aggressive or unpredictable behavior. It can also exacerbate other mental health conditions in people with co-occurring disorders.
  • Career and Finances:  Addiction often results in job loss, debt and frivolous spending habits that wreak havoc on finances. Legal trouble can mean exorbitant fines or even jail time which further impacts career prospects.
  • Loved Ones:  You may not think so while you are in its grasp, but addiction impacts everyone around you. Family, friends and partners suffer as a result; divorce is not an uncommon outcome.

People become attached to their burdens sometimes more than the burdens are attached to them.  You must forgive yourself and leave the guilt and shame behind you. Don’t go about carrying your past mistakes as a burden on your shoulders.  Make the necessary amends and push forward.

8 Poweful Tips To Overcome Addiction to Alcohol & Drug Abuse

  1. Surround yourself with supportive people. One of the most important things you can do to stay sober is to find friends who are sober, too. While it may be hard to cut off unhealthy relationships of your past, hanging out with people who support your need to stay clean will pay off in the long run.
  2. Find new hobbies. Staying busy is the best way to keep your mind off your desire to use. Not only that, but establishing an interesting and rewarding hobby can also help you find joy and purpose in your life, and replace your old unhealthy habits with new drug-free activities.
  3. Exercise. Working out is good for the body and the mind. As your physical health improves, you’ll also experience the “natural high” of endorphins, which can elevate your mood. And an exercise routine creates a structure to your days, helping to reduce your risk of a relapse.
  4. Volunteer. Finding a worthy cause to support while in recovery allows you to help others while helping yourself. Giving back to the community can help you discover a sense of purpose, build healthy connections and friendships, and feel good about the contributions you’re making to society.
  5. Eat well. The food you eat has a serious impact on your wellbeing. By making sure you consume a healthy, well-rounded diet, you’ll keep yourself in shape – both physically and mentally. And if you’re feeling good, then you’re less likely to turn to drugs for a mood booster.
  6. Talk it out. Sometimes, you need someone to talk to about what’s going on in your recovery. Sharing your thoughts with someone who understands your experiences and can help support you through the difficult times is invaluable. Find a local support group, work with a sponsor, or call up a trusted friend to talk to when the going gets tough.
  7. Meditate. Mindfulness exercises have been proven to relieve stress and anxiety, as well as to decrease blood pressure and improve immune function. Developing a meditation practice can help you to find calm and peace, and quiet your mind in an otherwise turbulent time.
  8. Seek professional help. Recovery from drug addiction is hard, and there’s no shame in asking for extra help from a medical professional when you need it. Physicians and behavioral therapists can set you up for success with structured programs, providing a safe way to prevent relapses and maintain sobriety.

I’m Afraid It Won’t Work

Treatment is just the first step to recovery.  During this process, you may sometimes have mixed feelings. You may feel exhausted, angry, relieved, worried, and afraid that, if this doesn’t work, nothing will. You may feel as if you are walking on eggshells and that if you do something wrong, you may go into a relapse.  It is important for you to remember that nobody can cause a relapse but yourself.

No one can predict whether you will recover, or for how long, but many people who receive treatment do get better.  The longer people stay in treatment the more likely they will remain drug and alcohol-free.  About half the people who complete treatment for the first time continue to recover. Of course, this means that about half will return to drinking alcohol and using drugs (called a relapse) before they finally give them up for good.  It is not uncommon for a person to need to go through treatment more than one time.  Often the person needs to return to treatment quickly to prevent a slip or relapse from leading to a chronic problem.

Believe you can and you are halfway there. You have to trust that full recovery is possible for you. With the right mindset, you can overcome the worst of addiction. Fear of failure often holds people back from taking action at the right time. Failing is actually a good thing because it gives you an opportunity to learn from your mistakes. It allows for improvements over your past actions. Do not let fear of relapse prevent you from entering the world of recovery.

Get Help to Overcome Addiction

Helping yourself takes courage. Courage isn’t having the strength to go on – it is going on when you don’t have strength. Even at your lowest point of discouragement, you can still find the strength to overcome addiction, as long as you take actionable steps to achieve this goal. Start now by calling us at We Level Up FL. Help overcoming addiction is available 24/7. Our friendly behavioral health specialists won’t give up on you.

Get help to overcome addiction to alcohol, drug abuse.  Call the We Level Up Florida Mental Health Treatment Center for more.
Get help to overcome addiction to alcohol, drug abuse. Call the We Level Up Florida Mental Health Treatment Center Hotline to learn more.

Inpatient medical detox and residential primary addiction treatment may be available at our affiliated facility at Level Up West Palm Beach Rehab. For some primary behavioral health treatment clients, medical detox and or addiction rehab may be required first.  If you have a co-occurring severe substance abuse diagnosis, please contact us prior to beginning inpatient mental health therapy. Treatment services may vary. Please call us to learn which treatment options are most suited for your individual needs.

Sources

[1] National Institute on Drug Abuse – https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/treatment-approaches-drug-addiction