Overcoming Addiction

When overcoming addiction, you’ll face challenges. Whether the addiction is alcohol, drugs, food, gambling or other compulsive behaviors like shopping, porn or video games, codependency etc.  there are mixed feelings. Although everyone knows that these addictions can become highly self-destructive, change is hard and it can be a slow process.

To overcome any addiction, you have to break the behavior which has interfered in your relationships, taken over your thoughts and may have taken over your life.  You’ve put a lot of energy, thinking, manipulating and focusing on this behavior, and since you’ve tried many times to quit, you may even doubt that it's possible for you to change.

All these doubts are normal ~ and yes,

Change is Possible!

When overcoming addiction, you’ll face challenges and have mixed feelings and relapses. This is normal. Change is hard but rewards ahead are great.

Treatment Resources for Overcoming Addiction

To Drugs & Alcohol

When we think of the treatment available for alcohol and drug addiction, the first thing that comes to mind is a rehab. Rehabs have become particularly popular, since many celebrities have gone in and out of them, but there are other programs that work as well.

In my practice, I have worked with clients, who for one reason or another refused to go into rehab, but with their commitment and proper counseling, totally changed their lives. It all depends what's best for the client when it comes to inpatient vs. outpatient drug rehab.

Inpatient Programs: This is provided in special units of hospitals, or clinics. They offer both detoxification and rehabilitation. Those with a mental disorder or serious medical problems as well as addiction, will most likely be referred to this type of treatment.

Adolescents may also need the structure of inpatient programs, so that a complete assessment of drugs and mental disorders can be evaluated.

Residential programs (Rehab) These provide a living environment, and programs that last from a month up to a year. During the first phase, contact with family, friends and job may be restricted. Later clients may be allowed to work and return to the facility in the evening. This allows for a transition back into their lives.

An adolescent may be permitted to contact parents, but not friends. Often the programs are long enough to offer a general equivalent diploma (GED) preparation classes, job training and even career training.

 Some residential programs are specifically designed to enable women to bring their children. They can also provide parenting and child care.

Therapeutic community This is long term residential program that focuses on behavior change and personal responsibility in all areas of a person’s life - not only alcohol and drugs.

Outpatient and intensive outpatient programs These programs are offered in many places: clinics, hospitals, health department offices, some residential programs with outpatient clinics, mental health clinics, or in the office of an addiction specialist. Some programs require daily attendance, others, one to three times per week.

Things don't change, people change!

What To Do When Overcoming Addiction

Why struggle?

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The # 1 thing you must do in overcoming addiction is acknowledge that you have a problem ~ not only say it, but TAKE ACTION and DO something about it. You must finally stop running.  If you don't break your denial, there will be no way of ever overcoming any addictive behavior.

The 12 steps begin with breaking denial. Step one is admitting that you are powerless over your addiction.

The 12 step program of AA (Alcohol Anonymous) are the basis of all twelve step programs ~ Gamblers Anonymous, Over-Eaters etc.

These are the steps – from the General Service Office of AA

1) We admitted we are powerless over alcohol –that our lives had become unmanageable.

2) Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3) Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him.

4) Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves

5) Admitted to god, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6) Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character

7) Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

8) Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.

9) Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10) Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

11) Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

12) Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Copyright A,A, World Services Inc.

Remember, you can easily go back to a bad habit. When overcoming addiction completely, you have to change your thinking and replace it with a new mindset ~ something that will make you stronger and more powerful. You must learn to identify where you sabotage yourself, and learn new techniques and strategies so you don't do it again.  You may have 'slips' but change is a process and as long as you keep at it, it will be OK. 

"One day at a time" ~  a good strategy for everyone!

Overcoming addiction with
Recovery Coaching

 The method which has been researched and proven as most effective is CBT. It is also not a long drawn out process. These techniques compliment any 12-step program, if that works for you.

Recovery Coaching is effective for eliminating depression anger, anxiety, low self-esteem and impulse control behaviors: drugs, alcohol gambling, sex, food, shoplifting and more. The techniques are based on the premise that our thoughts determine our emotions, which then determines our attitudes and our actions.

 Of course we talk about the past, but we don't dwell on it. We focus on the issues and the job at hand. You receive step by step strategies to  handle the problems you're dealing with and you learn new coping strategies, techniques and a whole new way of thinking to move on.

 The negative behavior is a symptom. You will deal with the issues, but also create an empowered life.

If your serious about changing your life, let's schedule a 1/2 hr to talk.

 For easy & immediate self-help downloads

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