
An addiction is an ingrained, habitual cognitive disorder, which is maintained by a continuous cycle, very difficult to break. It’s also extremely complex, as causes differ, as personal responses differ, and as outcomes of addiction also differ.
Known to make quitting a testing action, addiction can be a challenging condition to work through as it is recognised to result in both physical and psychological changes, effects, and symptoms. Displayed through compulsive and obsessive behaviours, surrounding addictive stimuli, such behaviours are continuous even though the risks of consequences, showcasing its robustness as a disorder.
While it can be an invasive disorder, presenting many challenges, addiction is however a treatable diagnosis, through both self-help and professional treatment. Overcoming addiction will be best tackled via a private drug and alcohol rehab clinic, offering the necessary steps of rehabilitation.
Here’s some guidance on ‘how to quit an addiction?’, along with the expected services available here at Rehab Clinics Group to understand, tackle, overcome and quit an addiction for the long term.
Why Can Quitting An Addiction Be So Difficult?
An addiction can be an easily developed disorder. Once exposure to addictive stimuli, such as drugs and alcohol is encountered consistently, offering positive reinforcements, it’s clear to see how a habit can form. Feeding the reward system is natural for us as humans, which if drugs and alcohol automatically do so, detaching from their feel-good sensations and chemicals can be tough.
Reverting a habit can be difficult, as the functionality of both the brain and body have adapted to accustomed to the presence of drugs and alcohol. It’s also important to remember that once a physical and psychological addiction does form, consumption will be heavily linked to emotions. Controlling such emotions, understanding them, and acting rationally on them can be tough, standing as an obstacle for many through rehabilitation.
Physically, it can be difficult to quit an addiction as the surfacing of withdrawal symptoms can be unbearable to digest. Again, standing as an obstacle, experiencing withdrawal symptoms, at the moment, can feel harder than a lifetime of addiction.
Quitting an addiction can also be a very emotional process, from fears of judgment and the anxieties of the unknown to facing up to the causation of substance abuse. Such a process focuses on self-reflection and development which can be testing to consider whilst living through an addiction.
Addiction recovery will materialise itself differently for every individual. Some will naturally take to the change that drug and alcohol rehab offers, while others will face up challenges. It is important to remember this, when looking to quit an addiction, by focusing on what’s ahead for your rehabilitation journey. All efforts will be worthwhile through the fulfilment of long-term sobriety.
With the right support, even the most common challenges linked to overcoming addiction can be worked beyond, offering the necessary steps to sustainably withdraw and rehabilitate.
Common Challenges Linked To Quitting
There are a handful of common challenges which make it difficult to quit an addiction. Before delving into ‘how to quit an addiction?’, it is important to be aware of what’s ahead, through these possible challenges.
Firstly, there is a grave stigma on addiction, attaching unrealistic and incorrect stereotypes against the diagnosis. Judgments are made from this diagnosis, making it very difficult for users to reach out. This is a possible challenge that can make quitting addiction difficult, one reason why many individuals aim for lone recovery.
Secondly, as mentioned above, the detoxification process is a challenging one to complete, due to the nature of withdrawal. Where a build-up of drugs and alcohol have formed, withdrawal symptoms are expected, posing as physical and psychological challenges. Through the means of professional and medical support, via drug and alcohol rehab, tackling this challenge will be possible, fulfilling the expectations of detoxification.
Lastly, quitting an addiction will start with a rapid decision, yet will be followed by a long-term recovery journey. The timescale of addiction recovery can be challenging for some individuals to digest, hoping for a cure or a quick fix. It’s vital to be aware of this, before embarking on the journey, as recovering from a drug and/or alcohol addiction is an ongoing commitment.
How To Quit An Addiction?
Advice on how to quit an addiction will include a range of self-help tips, understandably fitting for some and not so much for others, along with professional recommendations of treatment. Both efforts will be encouraged, as helping yourself through the long-term recovery process will benefit the success of residential rehabilitation.
-
Commit To Quitting
A commitment must be made, to say that enough is enough. Accepting support, accepting change, and accepting sobriety will be important here, to look forward and take full accountability for tackling an addiction.
-
Build A Trustworthy Network Of Support
Making such a brave decision can be emotional. Having a trustworthy support network around you will ease this step, ensuring that you have an outlet to share your worries or questions with. Family members will be reliable here, along with specialist guidance through support groups and charity helplines.
-
Be Prepared For What’s Ahead
To quit an addiction can come with many challenges, some of which are shared above, commonly unknowing for many individuals. It’s instead recommended to be prepared and fully aware of what’s ahead through drug and alcohol rehab, through addiction treatments and through long-term recovery. Awareness can help with preparations, offering confidence and acceptance.
-
Access Addiction Treatment And Support
Accessing addiction treatment and support will be the best way to quit an addiction. As quitting will require the fulfilment of comprehensive recovery, made up of varying steppingstones and addiction treatments, the most effective journey will be found through professional support.
Through a private drug and alcohol rehab clinic, treatment and support will be available, to drive the recovery process. We at Rehab Clinics Group offer personal treatment programmes via our range of CQC rehab clinics.
-
Accept All Recommendations
Recommendations will be made throughout rehab, which can sometimes be difficult to accept due to their contents. For example, you may feel mentally healthy, unwelcoming the recommendation of mental health support. If recommendations are made, they will be reasonable, purpose-driven, and safe, best accepted and completed to recover from addiction.
-
Work Through Withdrawal Symptoms
Quitting an addiction will require a withdrawal period, to readjust the body and mind to organic functionality. This ultimately means to readjust to a state without the influence of drugs and alcohol. Withdrawal symptoms are a common challenge linked to detoxification. Working through symptoms will increase the rates of recovery, by reaching initial sobriety.
Withdrawal and disconnect on a psychological level will also be required, through a range of addiction treatment services and therapy sessions.
-
Embrace relapse prevention
Answering ‘how to quit an addiction?’, must focus on the all-around expectation of recovery. Addiction recovery is for the future, which can be eased by embracing relapse prevention. Planning for life after rehab, through securing preventive measures of relapse will be proactive.
-
Make Use Of Aftercare
Long-term recovery will benefit from ongoing professional support and touchpoints of treatment. Making use of available aftercare will relieve the transition period after rehab, which is where overcoming an addiction is truly tested.
-
Make Changes To Your Lifestyle, Outlook, And Environments
Quitting an addiction will take treatment, will take planning, will take commitment, and will take ongoing efforts. In addition, change will be required, to sustain recovery results. Changes to lifestyle, to outlooks, to coping strategies, to environments and to routines will be expected, acting as self-help tips, to reduce relapse and exposure risks.
How to quit an addiction will be a personal, unpredictable journey. Yet by following the above steps, quitting, overcoming, and managing an addiction will be possible. It can be a long and thorough process. Yet a worthwhile one to overcome a drug and alcohol addiction, its effects, and consequences.
Contact our team at Rehab Clinics Group for confidential and personal support through quitting an addiction.