10 Step Guide for Drug Addiction Help

Going through addiction, no matter how apparently mild or severe, is a process that will encompass your entire being. Without a proper strategy, plan, and a goal, you are significantly more likely to fall back into relapse. At the West Coast Wellness Centre for Women, we have had years of experience dealing with people seeking to take control of their lives once more. Here are ten pieces of drug addiction help that will put you on the path to sobriety.

1.) Decide to quit

The most important step on any road to recovery is the first one – actively deciding to quit. And yet, it is so often neglected by those attempting to break free of the chains of addiction. Before you get any drug addiction help, assert definitively to yourself that you are ridding your life of drugs and or alcohol once and for all. Once you start withdrawal, if you are not certain that you want to stop completely, you are far more likely to slip back into your old, easy habits. Do not be one of the all-too-many women who try to stop, but do not do so with their whole heart. For drug addiction help to work, the power of intention is paramount.

2.) Write down the effects that your addiction has on you

Taking a small amount of time to honestly assess how your drug abuse is affecting your life is extremely helpful when seeking drug addiction help. The most important thing in this step is to be honest. If you are deluded or unable to face what is happening around you, it will be much harder to see the true effect that your substance is having on you. However, if you record in writing how your addiction affects you mentally, physically, and emotionally, it will open your eyes as to how desperately you need drug addiction help, and can help you to be more honest with those around you.

3.) Get drug addiction help from professionals or a support group

Whether this form of drug addiction help takes the form of going to a hospital and asking to be admitted, going to a rehabilitation center, going to a psychologist, or even going to your local support group, the most important thing is that you go. Trying to beat your addiction alone is far more difficult than doing so leaning on people that can help you through it. There are many supportive people in recovery and professionals that are willing and capable to work with you throughout your journey to sobriety.

4.) Plan out every minute of your day

Each day, or even the night before, plan out your day in meticulous detail. Allocate time for everything from when you will have breakfast, when you will take breaks at work, and what you will do when you get home. If you plan out the day, you will be less inclined to engage in illicit activities.

5.) Avoid places that you associate with your addiction

When you plan out your day, make sure that you do not plan to engage with those people and places that you link with your drug addiction. Whether they are the people that you did drugs with, the places where you most often got high, or even where you bought your drugs, give them a wide berth. You may think that you are strong enough to resist temptation, but do not add unnecessary pressure on your seeking of drug addiction help.

6.) Get a hobby or two

It is incredible what distracting yourself for a few hours can do for women looking to break free of addiction. It doesn’t matter what the activity is – it could be exercise, reading, or even board games – but try and become involved in a regular, planned activity with other like minded people. Hobbies can give you enjoyment, and let you spend a few hours distracted from the pull of addiction. If you miss a session of your hobby, someone may contact you, and encourage you not to slip back to your substance. It may sound silly but being accountable to your hobby can make a huge shift in your recovery.

7.) Have someone that you can be accountable to

While support groups, hobbies, friends, and other men and women can give you a great deal of drug addiction help, having one or two people that you are very close to can be immensely helpful. Share everything that you feel with these partners in your journey. Sharing your feelings and experiences will take the weight off of your shoulders. Your accountability friends will also be there whenever you feel low, or forget to follow your other drug addiction help. People are invaluable.

8.) Follow the program

Drug addiction help programs have been drawn up in order to most effectively combat addiction of all kinds. There may be a time where you feel that your treatment or course of action is not suited to you, and you want to deviate from the prescribed path. For example, you may not want to plan every day, because you have established your routine in your head. It is important that you continue to do what those giving you drug addiction help suggest. Thousands of men and women have succeeded with them before you. Trust in their success to allow you to achieve your own.

9.) Don’t be afraid of pharmacology

These days, there is a host of prescribed medication that will help you during your recovery. For example, Vivitrol and Naltrexone are becoming more regularly prescribed to help ease the cravings of alcoholics. If those giving you drug addiction help recommending that you undergo a course of one of these medications, do not fear. Trust the professionals and trust those that have recovered. Just surrender to the process.

10.) Stick at it

Going from addiction to recovery is not an easy path. You will struggle. You may fall into temptation. It is all okay. The important thing is that you continue to strive for sobriety. After deciding to quit, writing down what your addiction does to you, getting help from professionals or a support group, panning out your day, avoid your old haunting grounds, getting a hobby, having accountability friends, following whatever programs you are put on, and taking any medication prescribed to you, you will be well on the way to recovery. Do not be afraid. You can beat your addiction, as thousands of other women have. All you need to do is take the first step. After that, we are here to help you!

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction and need drug addiction help, please call the 24 hour assessment hotline for immediate help. 1-800-801-8354

Drug Addiction Help for Women ©

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