7 Ways to Overcome Drug Addiction

When someone is addicted to drugs, it means he or she continues to use one or more substances despite the fact that it harms his or her daily functioning, relationships, or health.

The toughest step for many people who have drug addiction is recognizing they have a problem and deciding to make a change. Once that step has been taken, there are several potential routes to take in order to overcome the addiction. Here are seven.

1. Commit to Change

If you have a drug addiction, the first thing you need to do is commit to changing your behaviour.

You will need to contemplate cutting down, moderating, or eliminating your addictive behaviour. You can then get professional help, identify specific goals to help you overcome your addiction, and follow a plan to help you achieve your goals.

2. Find Support

You can better overcome your addiction if you have people to support you. Ideally, you will have friends and family members who can support your transition to recovery.

But you should also get support from specific support groups. Your doctor can help you explore support group options.

3. Eliminate Triggers

Staying away from people you know who do drugs will go a long way to helping you stick to your plan of cutting down or quitting your addiction. So, avoid friends that you have used drugs with and places where you have done drugs. 

In fact, you should eliminate any triggers that bring up memories of your drug use to help you move on.

4. Complete a Detoxification Programme

Drug addiction is treatable. By taking the first big step of talking to a doctor about your addiction, you can explore treatment options and find the best option for you.

Some treatment plans work better for some kinds of drug addiction than others. One of the best routes for most kinds of addiction is participating in a detoxification program in a safe and controlled environment.

5. Utilise Counselling Services

Counselling is another effective treatment option. Talking about yourself, your problems, and your addiction can help you identify why you began using drugs. In turn, that can help you to quit. Counselling is an umbrella term for various therapy treatments.

One of the most commonly used therapies for drug addiction is cognitive behavioural therapy, which allows you to recognize problematic thinking, behaviours, and patterns to establish healthier ways of coping and develop stronger self-control.

6. Try Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a revolutionary, non-invasive treatment that is most commonly used for depression and anxiety, but it can also be used for treating addiction.

TMS uses magnetic fields to stimulate your brain’s nerves. You can access the trauma-focused treatment via Roots Through Recovery Addiction Treatment.

The team of compassionate professionals at Roots Through Recovery can also help you to identify the underlying causes of your issues and develop coping skills that you can continue to use after the treatment.

7. Use Medication Alongside Other Treatment Options

For some types of drug addiction, medication can be used as part of a larger treatment plan. Medication is most commonly used to treat opioid use disorder.

By taking prescribed medication, you can potentially control your drug cravings, relieve symptoms of withdrawal, and help to prevent relapses.

The Takeaway

It should now be clear that there are a wide variety of treatment options available to help you overcome your drug addiction. But the first step is often the hardest: admitting you have a problem and seeking help.

Once you have overcome that step, it will be easier to get the right treatment for your specific addiction and situation. Talk to your doctor so that you can explore your options in more detail and get the help you need to overcome your addiction and take back control of your life.