What advice would you give someone who is struggling to kick their addiction?
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When you are trying to escape addiction, there will be time where it's so easy to avoid, and there will be times where it's hard to avoid the temptation. The best advice I can give you is to love yourself through the process of healing. Forgive yourself when you relapse, but don't use it as an a excuse to keep going back. Breaking addiction is very challenging and you will fail before you succeed. Support that person in you who fails and root for them. Encourage instead of giving yourself hate and talking down. Importantly, believe in yourself that you can do this, and you will.
@Jenna wha If you struggle to believe sometimes :/
@Jenna. Well today I woke up feeling as if it's time to quit it's controlling my life I was doing so good a while ago and I don't know what happened but pushed me back into it
If possible do everything you can to get the thing youre addicted to out of your life. I found help and fellowship in 12 step meetings. Dont get hung up on the god term in the steps it can can be whatever a higher power is too you. Know you are committed to being better and free from the terrible affects of whatever your addiction is. Be kind to yourself and reach out for help. It doesnt mean you are weak it shows how much you want to be free from your addiction. Try to have patience with the process and talk to someone who understands addiction. If you can find a sponsor they have been where you are. Know at first it will take a lot to stay on purpose with quitting. But keep faith and be strong because you are worth it and you will beat your addiction. I am almost 4 years Cannabis free and I used almost everyday of my adult life. Whatever your addiction is there are others out there wanting to quit too you can find a self help community. Just be honest with yourself and accept that you have a problem you need help with. That is the first step towards a better future free from the problem you are struggling with.
@ very True
It can be hard to find a coping method that works for you but keep trying, when you find a good one for you it can be incredibly helpful.
I could be taken as negative but I believe if you are struggling with addiction, the easiest way to fall back into it is familiarity. Maybe leaving the so called friends who aren't trying to get better or are just using someone is a hard, but important step. Have to have a safe zone, and familiarity is not the same as safe.
Get into the AA or NA programs that is the best possible support, get a sponsor, if they need get some treatment that follows the 12 steps, best advice I can give ya
@Jill7Cups I am an alcoholic and I was once addictied to Xanax. I've been sober for over a year and a half now. Quitting an addiction is one of the hardest things you can do... but it 100% worth it! Remaing on the road to sobriety takes love, time, and lots and lots of pantience for yourself. Self-care is CRUCIAL druing this time. DON'T GIVE UP! You can do this, it's not impossible. You just have to keep fighting... And you have to do it every single day. Recovery never gets a day off. Things may seem really dark and miserable and shameful right now but it can get better with a commitment to yourself! The light does come back!
To keep oneselves active, alone time where you sit and think is usually the worst time for an addict.
Personally i had to find a job to be able to kick my addiction, because 80% of people get addicted because whatever substance it may be helps to combat boredom. It sounds weird, but we preffer anything over being bored, pain even.
I for one got addicted to my drug simply because it made the days pass, and i didn't have to sit there with thoughts i didn't wanna think
@Jill7Cups
One of my best friend is addicted to nicotine since three years. I couldn't take it when I came across this fact few months ago. He chose to hide it from me and suddenly told me about it in April. I couldn't sleep the entire night the day he told me about his addiction. I kept sharing useful articles, videos and motivational quotes to motivate him to quit smoking. He recently told me that it's been a month and he hasn't smoked cigarettes. I am extremely happy and proud of him. He started smoking due to a lot of stress related to his job and profession. I am really concerned about his health and I pray that he quit his unhealthy habits as soon as possible. Besides, I would do whatever it takes to help him out of this.
@lyricalAngel70
I think it's wo derfull you care so much about you friend, makes me wish i had that kind of friend. But i just want to say it sounds a little pushy, im afraid your friend might be scared to tell you if the quitting doesn't work out.
I have no kind of knowledge of how close you two are, but just make sure to tell him/her, that if it doesn't work out the way he/she told you it did, that friend shouldn't be afraid to tell you, (because you should be able to handle it without you friend feeling guilty perhaps)
Nicotine isn't the worst thing in the world, but that's what makes it hard to quit. And you being so dedicated in getting your friend to quit can putt a lot of pressure on that person. Just make sure he/she is as dedicated to quitting as you are to them quitting, otherwise they provably can't face dissapointing you with the truth. And might quit for a month or two, but if the motivation doesn't come from themselves, it might not last, that's just my experience
It's not my buiseness but i had a hard time telling people about my addiction to begine with, and once i did, everyone seemed to care so much for it and about me, more than i cared for me to be honest. Made it a lot easier to lie, than to actually follow through or tell them the truth.
Just saying, be carefull about how invested you get. But then again, i wish i had a friend like you 👍
@Jill7Cups
Change your environment and company, and you will change your self.
We don't have reliable and curative treatment for addiction. We barely keep people alive. Keeping your environment sterile is the best way along with all the recovery work you will do anyway.
@Shazd Yeah, we will inevitably be affected by the people and places in our lives.
@Shazd. What if hiding alone to fill my needs is the problem, and I don't have a real social group to find support.