Sunday 17 August 2014

By Linda Ruiz





If a beloved friend or family member is in the throes of alcohol addiction or drug abuse, it is out of doubt that you want to help him. However, you may not be furnished with the right information and procedure of where to start. This concern may leave you worried and scared about what others will think, how your life will change. In fact, you may feel isolated by all of these feelings together with the helplessness that ensues. Nevertheless, both the addict and his or her friends and family members experiencing a hard time with substance addiction can benefit from this guide. It takes you through the steps and how to guides for dealing with addiction.



The first step towards change is to acknowledge the purpose. This entails determining why you do it. For instance, you could be doing it in order to deal with anxiety. Though it may prove hard to admit the fact that you have a smoking or a drinking problem, be enlightened that you cannot change what you do not acknowledge. Admit to yourself that you are medicating for anxiety, pain and depression and that it numbs you to life.



It is also important to think rational thoughts as opposed to denial. If you are in denial about the issue, minimizing it, trivializing it and cunning yourself about it, then you will never get where you need to be. In case you cannot get through the day without a shot of alcohol, you may be medicating yourself for depression, anxiety or pain. Be sure to count on others to assist you think rationally.



Try to use alternative coping skills. It is important to appreciate the fact that people do not break bad habits, but rather replace them with new ones. You have to recognize that you get a reward from smoking or drinking. The habit may calm you and even take your anxiety away. Also, it may be lifting your spirits or numb you to the pain of your life.



Learn healthy ways to keep with stress. Even after recovering from the addiction, you will still face the problems and situations the led to your habit in the first place. In case you started using the substance to calm you down or help you forget about problems, after sobering, the negative feeling will still resurface. Be sure to learn how to address such conditions as loneliness, stress, frustration, anger, anxiety and shame in order for the treatment to be successful. This will help you remain sober for a long time, which is the basis of recovery.



Decide on the treatment plan and placement. The main reason for obtaining an intervention is to describe a suitable treatment plan for the person. Different patients have different addiction issues that require a center that can address all the issues concerned. The recovery program prescribed should be a good fit for the exact problems of the addict.



Apart from the professional help, family and close relatives come handy in the recovery. They should support you by encouraging you and even knocking the hell out of you when things get tough. Such people should tell you the plain truth when you are not heading in the wrong way.



In addition, change the places you visit frequently, who you hang out with and what you do for fun. Where a computer happens to be a menace, remove the equipment from the house. The most effective way of breaking the habit is not to have access to it.









About the Author:








#end


Tagged:

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Mental Health Systems © 2013 | Powered by Blogger | Blogger Template by DesignCart.org