Chapter: 9 Solution To Addiction

Chapter: 9

Solution To Addiction

                                        Many addicted people also want to get rid of addiction frequently. So, they try to stay away from addictive substance and also manage to remain clean for some moments (few hours to few days). But the craving for addictive substance becomes so strong that they fail to get rid of it. This is the truth.

                                     This chapter is especially dedicated to those people who are addicted. But non addicted people can also learn many things from it. In this chapter I am going to guide you about how to get rid of addiction.

                                         There is a saying: “It’s never late to bring positive change in life.”

                               So, no matter how much old you are if you are able to get rid of addiction, certainly your life will be better and greater than it is now.

                               First of all, you have to be honest and realize your faults and problems. Then tell your parents or spouse that you are addicted and tell them that you really want to change and you need their help to make that change. Don’t forget to apologise with them about all your bad deeds and faults which have hurt them. There is a saying: “The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You don’t blame them on your mother, the ecology or the president. You realize that you controls your destiny.”  -Albert Ellis    

                                       After hearing your these kinds of words your parents or spouse or best friend will be certainly happy to help you as they loves you very much. Don’t ignore this above mentioned step because you really need help of others to fight against addiction. During the youth period many thinks that they can fight with addiction alone. But reality is that you can’t fight against addiction alone because it is very hard to do so and if you can do that alone then, you won’t have to be addicted.

                                       Next step is to take help of rehabilitation center. If you have money and if you can afford, then the best and efficient way to get rid of addiction is by going to rehabilitation center. There are counsellor, experienced people and discipline enforcer in rehabilitation centre who will help you to get rid of addiction effectively.

                                    But all people won’t be so much fortunate to afford the bills of rehabilitation center. If you are, one of them, then don’t worry, nothing is impossible in this world. Whatever your mind can think, you can achieve it in real world but you should be patience, honest and persistent.

                                      Always remember that, it’s you who have to be ready and interested at first, to bring change in your life. Then only other can help and guide you. Below I have mentioned some steps which are important even if you go to rehabilitation center. Because you won’t stay there forever, someday you might come out and may again become victim of addiction. So, to maintain sobriety from addictive materials even after coming out of rehabilitation center, these tips will certainly help you:

i.                             Change the environment

                        Remove all the things from your house or room that are linked with your addiction as much as possible to unreachable place so that you don’t get in contact with those things even if you want to, when cravings increases. And, if you are strong addict of smoking, alcohol or drugs then don’t try to stop suddenly because if you do so it may cause more problems. So that asks your parents to give such substances by slowly reducing the dose each time.

                                  “Slow change is better than no change.” So don’t try to stop it suddenly if you are highly addicted. Try to make small or even very small change but give continuity to it.

ii.                         Switch to non-addicted friends

                           If you give continuity to get in contact with your addicted friends even after starting this method, then your chances to get rid of addiction highly decreases. So, limit the contact with such friends to ‘Hi’, ‘Hello’ and ‘Bye’ unless it is very necessary. If you can, then cut off the contact with those locations where availability and use of addictive substances is more like party, pub, disco, bar etc.

                              Surround yourself with good friends and positive people. If no any good friends are available then read books or do other good entertaining tasks.

iii.                      Beat your craving

                         Even after having     strong desire to get rid of addiction, sometimes craving for that substance will increase so much that you forget all your commitments and promises. You may even start to lie to other for getting that substance. Thoughts like “I will just try this (addictive substance) only for today and from tomorrow I will not even think about it” can pop into your mind. This is the hardest time, when trying to get rid of addiction. And in this kind of condition, if you give a try to that substance, after the ending of craving you will feel regret and distressed over such kind of act. Thus, you try to indulge more in that substance. After using too much amount of that substance you will again make promise and commitments with yourself, to avoid such addictive substances for forever. When tomorrow or next day comes, cravings again increases and same thought, which is mentioned in the top of this paragraph inside inverted commas, again comes into your mind. In this way, you will become unable to get rid of addiction. And at last you will end up becoming hopeless and sad about getting rid of addiction.

                                  If you are one of the above mentioned type of person who has failed a lot then acknowledge this quote”In life failure is just one type of learning method. So try to learn from failure and avoid that mistake again.” So, don’t get sad from your failure but try to learn from it. If one method fails then try another or different method.

                                        Generally, a craving session lasts for about 3-5 minutes. So look at the clock and count-down the time during the craving session. In a day there can be several craving session each of 3-5 minutes. Try to relax and divert your mind during such craving session.

                                      You can also make your parents aware about this kind of cravings and thoughts which can come during craving. Tell them to avoid any kind of excuses during the craving session and tell them to provide you good supervision during such session.

                                      Remember that, during the craving session, not you but your craving speaks and controls you more. And the more you are able or become successful to avoid such cravings, the more you will get stronger and confident to fight against addiction.

iv.                      Find out the root cause

                              Everything has its own root cause. So, there is/are also root cause/s for your craving. For example, when you feel lonely you’re craving or desire to use drug may increases. If so, then surround yourself with positive friend, people or relative. Your craving to use addictive substance can also increase, when you feel stressed or hopeless. If so then try to manage stress and stay hopeful. If you can, then even try to find the deeper cause of stress, like deeper cause of stress can be breakup with your partner or failure in something. After finding root cause try to solve such cause once and for all.

                             In this way, try to find the root cause of your craving and try to solve it once and for all or try to reduce the conditions or situations which causes cravings, as much as you can.

v.                         Replace bad habit good one

                          Only trying to cut off the addictive substances or addictive behaviour is not enough. You should try to replace addiction of addictive substances by good habits or good work. This not only helps you to utilize your saved time properly but also helps you to learn new thing and stay encouraged. For this you can get involved in anything which is good and which you enjoy the most like painting, learning or listening music, reading various kinds of book etc.

vi.                      Be motivated

                            If you are addict person then you may have lost many things like your health, family, career or money due to addictive behaviour. And memory of such pains and losses of past won’t let you live happily even if you get rid of addictive behaviour or substances. So that there is chances you may feel regret and become hopeless in future or at present due to effect of bad activity of past. And to avoid such kinds of stress and past memory you may again get involved in such addictive substances.

                             So, you should be motivated to face and manage such situations or memory and to increase your self-confidence and self-belief. To do so, you can read self help books, inspirational books, motivating videos or movies, novels, biography of famous people and books related to struggle of life. This kind of things can help you to remain hopeful, realize your value, manage your stress and helps you to be stronger mentally.

vii.                  Give autosuggestion

                                 Autosuggestion sounds simple but it is more powerful than we can imagine. Auto suggestion can create a huge impact over your sub-conscious mind and can help you to increase your efficiency and confidence. Generally, your autosuggestion should look like this “I am becoming less and less addicted day by day. I am winning over my craving daily. I am becoming physically and mentally stronger to control my addiction …..” In this way you can give autosuggestion to yourself in your own way. But while giving autosuggestion try to repeat only positive thing and say what you want to be in future not what you are at present. If you say these kinds of positives thought by looking yourself in mirror then it will be more better.

                                Now let’s see how autosuggestion works, if you give autosuggestion by saying I have already become.. or I am becoming.., then your sub-conscious mind starts to work like it had already happened. Thus, this will reinforces and helps those imagined thought to happen in real life more easily and effectively.

                                    Although, autosuggestion is boring, but the more you repeat giving autosuggestion to yourself the more benefit you will get and the more quickly you will recover from addiction. So, try to autosuggest to yourself at least once a day but if you can, then autosuggest to yourself as much time as you can.

viii.               Overcome sleeplessness

                             Sleep is vital for all aspect of our life. But many addicts faces the problem of sleeplessness while trying to get rid of addictive substances. For this try to do simple meditation by just lying in your bed until you sleep or listen to the song you like most, especially a calming song.

                                   In the beginning it will be very hard and boring to sleep but with few times of practice everything will be easy and automatic.

ix.                      Relapse: How to deal with it

                                   To get more information about relapse look at the chapter named “Cultivate New Habit” of this book.

                                   

                                   Finally these are some of the steps that can help you to get rid of addiction of not only drugs, smoking or alcohol but also helps to get rid of various types of addiction like addiction of watching TV, playing video games, social networking etc if you are able to modify these above mentioned steps by little bit according to type of your addiction. Try to get rid of addiction slowly and continuously. Don’t hope for instant result be patience and persistent.

                                    Always remember sooner you start to get rid of addiction sooner you will be recovered. These kinds of addiction cannot be treated by hiding or torturing the addict. If you do so then not only addict but you and your family also have to face more complex situation which may lead to deep negative effects. Addiction can only be treated through proper and precise planning, effort and patience. So, if you are addict or if someone is addict in your family, then start to recover from today to prevent further loss, pain and complexity of problem.