Addictions: How to break free from destructive habits

Addictions are terrible, destructive habits that can lead to significant problems in your life and the lives of those around you. Luckily, breaking free from them doesn’t have to be nearly as hard as falling into them in the first place was—in fact, it can be relatively painless if you follow these easy steps.

Decide you want to change

If you’re going to make a change, it starts with wanting to change. It sounds overly simple, but if you can figure out why your life is as it is and how that’s affecting your quality of life, then you have a solid foundation for change. For instance, let’s say you realize that your drinking is getting in the way of everything else in your life—relationships with family and friends, career progression, etc. Those are good starting points; they help define what needs changing and what needs improving. The next step (if needed) is seeking professional help. Many people find therapists helpful when making big changes like these. They can provide an unbiased perspective on your situation and help you come up with solutions based on evidence-based practices. If therapy isn’t right for you, there are other options available like support groups or online communities where you can talk about what you’re going through and get advice from others who have been there before. You might also consider enlisting a friend or loved one to be your accountability partner—someone who will check in on you regularly to see how things are going, offer encouragement when needed, and give constructive criticism when appropriate. This sort of person doesn't need any special training; all they need is willingness to be involved in your process.

 For instance, if you’re addicted to pornography and can’t stop looking at inappropriate images online, know that you aren’t alone in your struggle. In fact, it is estimated that up to 40% of men and up to 10% of women are currently addicted or at risk for addiction when it comes to pornography. The next step is getting yourself out of a situation where you expose yourself repeatedly and compulsively to pornographic material by turning off your computer when not needed or putting restrictions on what sites you can access with your personal device. This sounds hard and maybe even unrealistic, but think about whether anything will change unless something changes first. Staying put in an unhealthy situation because of fear or lack of courage won't help anyone.

 If you struggle with chronic drinking and blacking out, for example, you might find it helpful to go on a week-long alcohol detox or seek professional help. A lot of people don’t know that alcohol withdrawals can be fatal without medical supervision. You also might benefit from joining a support group like Alcoholics Anonymous, where others in your situation can offer support and advice based on their own experiences. If possible, let friends and family know about your struggle so they can keep an eye out for any warning signs that you’re slipping back into old habits.

Get support

One of the most powerful things you can do when trying to quit an addiction is turn your friends and family into a support network. In addition to being people who will listen when you want to talk about how bad it hurts, they’ll also be there when you want them to accompany you in situations that make breaking your habit difficult.

 If you’re trying to quit an addiction, it helps to have a plan for what you will do when faced with temptation. For example, many recovering alcoholics who want to avoid being tempted by alcohol will avoid going into bars and instead drink at home or with friends. The same can be true of pornography addicts who find they feel most tempted when they’re in bed alone. Having a strategy in place ahead of time can help you head off temptation before it builds up too much strength.

Supplements - Third Paragraph: The supplements mentioned above are all supported by studies showing that they can decrease cravings for harmful substances—for example, nicotine patches and ginkgo biloba studies suggest these compounds may reduce people’s cravings for cigarettes and caffeine. Of course, supplements aren’t a substitute for therapy or other interventions, but they might be a good way to help support your recovery if you feel like you have a serious problem with addiction.

Aromatherapy - Fourth Paragraph: Aromatherapy is another complementary treatment that has been shown to help with substance abuse disorders. In one study of alcoholics who underwent aromatherapy treatments once per week for four weeks, participants reported less craving and fewer drinking days than those in a control group who didn't receive aromatherapy treatments. And in another study of smokers who underwent aromatherapy treatments twice per week over two weeks along with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), participants showed greater reductions in cigarette consumption than those who only received CBT or no treatment at all.

Identify the cost of your addiction

Understanding why you’re addicted is a good place to start, but so is identifying how much your addiction costs you financially. To do that, you’ll need to spend some time tracking where your money goes. Write down all of your expenses for at least one month and think about whether there’s any room for improvement. If your alcohol or drug habit costs hundreds (or thousands) of dollars each month, then it may be time for a change. Now that you have a better sense of where your money has been going and what kinds of changes are necessary, take steps toward ridding yourself of addictions once and for all!

 Being in denial about your addiction can keep you trapped, but identifying how much your addiction costs you financially may be enough of a wake-up call for you to realise that changes need to be made. To identify how much your addiction costs you, start by tracking all of your expenses for one month. If there are any gaps between what you earn and what you spend, think about where those dollars could have gone instead. After spending some time thinking about how much money addictions cost you and ways in which they could be more responsibly spent, take action! Think through potential strategies that will help reduce or eliminate addictions so that they no longer consume so much of your monthly income.

Set clear goals

Set clear, realistic goals for your sober lifestyle. If you have specific goals in mind, it will be easier to stay on track—and much harder to pick up a drink when all you want is a one night thing. Write down what you want and where you want it so that you can easily refer back to your goals whenever cravings get strong. Even if your goal is simply not to pick up a drink tonight, writing down I will not drink tonight may help keep your motivation high and set something in place as an insurance policy against future drinking. The more specific, detailed and realistic your goal, the better chance of success. And if things don’t go according to plan?

 If you find yourself missing a drink, or not following your plan, don’t beat yourself up over it. Alcoholism is a disease with symptoms that occur in varying degrees and how severe your addiction is will determine how hard it will be for you to stop drinking. The main thing is not to let a relapse derail your progress. If you have backslid before, there’s no shame in trying again and failing again; what matters most is that you don’t quit altogether when faced with setbacks along the way.

Work on your willpower

The first step in overcoming an addiction is to decide that you're ready for a change. It's important not to be too hard on yourself. Change takes time, and it isn't going to happen overnight—or even over one week or month. In fact, there are no magic solutions or miracle drugs out there that can save you. If you're serious about conquering your addiction and sticking with it, then work at building your willpower by making small changes in your life right now.

 Willpower is a vital part of kicking any addiction. It's something that you can build, but it won't happen overnight. Making small changes in your life, such as eating healthier and learning to manage stress better, will help your willpower grow over time. Another way of building willpower is by taking advantage of every opportunity that life has to offer. For example, if you've had an addiction problem in which you've used alcohol or drugs to cope with negative emotions, then start taking on challenges that make you feel good about yourself. This might mean signing up for sports teams or enrolling in art classes or community service activities—anything that improves your self-confidence and confidence in other people around you is going to be useful when you're working on breaking your habit.

Get rid of temptation

Whenever you feel a craving for alcohol, ask yourself how it would make you feel in that moment, and then choose an alternative. This could be anything – get involved in some exercise, spend time with friends or simply take a few deep breaths and focus on your breathing for several minutes. If you’re not alone when temptation strikes, be prepared with an excuse so that it doesn’t result in drunkiness. Keeping out of situations where other people are drinking is also crucial, since knowing others are drinking can trigger cravings. Ultimately, having ways to fill your time and avoid being tempted can help keep your sobriety on track. And remember, it’s only temporary! You can always reward yourself after a period of abstinence with something nice. Don’t let your brain trick you into thinking you won't have fun without alcohol. That's just not true! Once sober, you'll learn that there are many things more enjoyable than drinking - once addictive behaviors no longer hold sway over us we realize just how much better life can be without them.

In fact... one reason for keeping up your social activities even if they don't involve drinking is because going out sober will allow you to experience everything around you at its best - from delicious food and great music through to funny conversations and good company. So don't underestimate what life has to offer once addiction has been removed as an obstacle!

Train yourself with routines and triggers

Once you realize you’re suffering from an addiction, it’s time to seek help. If a professional or 12-step group isn’t for you, know that there are other ways of breaking free. One is by training yourself with routines and triggers—like one drink at night, then two, then three...and before you know it, an entire bottle is gone. Recognizing your own addictive behaviors can be difficult, but if you keep track of how much alcohol you consume on a daily basis (for example), you might be surprised to see just how quickly your drinking has escalated. It’s also important to note when certain emotions trigger your desire to drink; if loneliness causes cravings, schedule some activities that will fill up your evenings and leave less room for drinking. And if anxiety causes an urge to drink, try keeping a journal about what happens each day without booze—that way, when anxiety hits again in the future, you have something concrete to show yourself why sobriety is worth it.

Remember that breaking an addiction will be hard in the beginning, but easier later

It's difficult to kick a habit when you're in it. It's hard for anyone to quit smoking, start eating healthier, or give up alcohol. But with time and patience, these become easier. All it takes is remembering that progress can be made even after failure. You're not a quitter because you slipped up once or twice; instead, look at these as learning experiences that will propel you forward. Remind yourself that if you manage just one day—one hour—without your addiction, then you'll have a little more control over your life tomorrow and next week and so on. Be proud of every small step toward breaking an addiction. If you need help, consider reaching out to someone close to you who might support you in your goal (or join a group like Alcoholics Anonymous). And don't forget that there are many resources online available 24/7 that offer advice on quitting addictions of all kinds. Take advantage of them! They may seem daunting now, but they won't seem so scary once you're taking steps toward kicking an addictive habit.

Have fun!

Most people know they need to change a habit, but they don’t. The problem is that breaking a bad habit isn’t simply a matter of realizing it’s bad and deciding not to do it anymore. Most people understand there will be cravings, challenges and perhaps even pain involved in changing their behavior—but that doesn’t stop them. They think: What if I could just make it through these next few days? Or how about these next few weeks? This can keep you trapped in addiction, whether you realize it or not.

Conclusion

Getting wasted is fun, but it’s also a total buzzkill—you might feel inebriated, but you don’t enjoy yourself like you would if you didn’t drink so much. If you want to have a good time without ruining your social life, there are some simple ways to fix your drinking problem.