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Below are nine easy steps to follow when dealing with an addiction. Each step also suggests links and readings that can help you find specialized information.
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#REDIRECT [[Deal With Addiction]]
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== Steps ==
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# Join a group or program. Studies show that keeping regular track of your progress with a program or group can improve your chances of overcoming an addiction, even if it’s over the phone or the internet. If you’re quitting tobacco, for instance, just signing up via phone with a tobacco cessation program improves the chances of quitting. Go to: https://smokefree.gov/ https://ift.tt/2gTugf9 https://ift.tt/2XVAFOM, A program or group needs to be supportive. To find one you might need to check various groups before deciding on what’s good for you. Sometimes a 12-step program like Alcoholic Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), or Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) can be very positive. For secular (non-religious) approaches, SMART Recovery™ or LifeRing™ may offer a better alternative. For those who follow the Christian faith, Celebrate Recovery might be the better choice. Also, joining one of the many recovery or sobriety groups via social media sites like Facebook may be helpful too as reinforcement, or if nothing else is available.Go to: https://www.aa.org/ or https://www.na.org/ or http://lifering.org/ or https://ift.tt/X5zAh3 or https://ift.tt/1bRPsZb Many states offer free substance abuse programs, including, sometimes, detox (usually lasting 3 to 5 days). To find one enter: “Directory of Single State Agencies (SSA) for Substance Abuse Services” in an internet search engine like Google™, and you can download a free directory of substance abuse services and programs all over the US as a PDF file. Another good way to get detox is to get a referral from a local public mental health or substance abuse program. All programs should follow strict principles of confidentiality: information should be kept secret or private for the protection of all participants. Government programs follow very strict confidentiality rules based on a law known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Go to: https://ift.tt/2xVmIki. Some religious organizations also provide substance abuse treatment, but usually without detox. Detox needs to be obtained separately, and in some cases it is even required to be accepted into the program. For Christians there are rehabilitation programs like Celebrating Recovery, the Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Centers, Alcoholics Victorious, Christians in Recovery; and for Jewish people there’s the Chabad Movement Recovery Program. Go to: https://ift.tt/2iHogKh
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# Seek material support. Material support offers a base for making changes in life, and is highly correlated to success in overcoming an addiction. The best place to start is by calling 211, a free and confidential phone service that helps anyone in the United States and many parts of Canada find local programs to help with such issues as food, housing, utilities, and employment, and also with special services for veterans and for those people in reentry. The service is available 24/7, in all languages, and it offers guidance from trained professionals familiar in tracking the complex web of resources and programs in most parts of the US. Call, or go to: http://www.211.org/ Another way to find resources is to go online and enter the words, “community resources near me” in a search engine like Google™, and look up all the programs available in your area. A general search is necessary because there are usually different programs funded by different sources, and it takes a while to learn what’s available and how to navigate your choices. Finding a case manager may be of great value.
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# Practice refusal techniques. “Just say no” is the best known refusal technique, but there’s also walking away, using humor, avoiding certain people, and becoming a broken record and saying no over and over again, or giving a reason not to use drugs. There are other methods and useful techniques. Learning and practicing them can be of considerable value. Below are links to a simple and useful sites that explain them. Watching online videos can also be helpful. See: https://ift.tt/2XS4W0y or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEEEJLtRJcMnter
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# Learn to set boundaries. Learning to set boundaries is broader than just refusal techniques. It can help stop all types of unwanted influences in your life, not only that of drugs. Boundary techniques usually suggest starting by expressing desires clearly and directly, stating, for instance, your needs, by using “I” statements, monitoring your own feelings, and seeking support, etc, all of which may lead to improving in affirming yourself, and more assertive. Below are some sites with might be useful. Learning boundaries is also called “assertiveness” training. They are the same thing. There are also some educational videos available online on this subject. See: https://ift.tt/1I6wwUX, or https://ift.tt/2eL7cAC One good book about this subject is: Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life, by Henry Cloud and John Townsend (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1991). It was a bestseller, and many public libraries have it. It is based both on psychology and the Christian religion, and contains a number of quotes form biblical scripture that help follow and understand technical terms, but can be useful also for non-religious readers. Setting boundaries with parents can be extremely difficult. Probably one of the best known on this subject is: Toxic Parents. Overcoming their Hurtful Legacy and Reclaiming Your Life, by Susan Forward (New York, NY: Bantam Books, 2004). It is available free, again, in many public libraries.
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# Avoid ruthless people. Assertiveness techniques are not usually effective against ruthless and callous people, also known as “sociopaths.” Sociopaths are superficially charming, difficult to detect, and more common that might be imagined (by one estimate 1 in every 25 people in the US might be a sociopath). Their influence may also be very pernicious, and dealing with this important challenge may need additional training.Contrary to popular images, sociopaths are usually non-violent, and hard to spot. A simple check list, some prepared by professional psychologists, can be helpful in this respect. Wikihow, for instance, offers one such short list online. See: https://ift.tt/2j4gN4R. There are other good check lists to try to spot sociopaths, all easy to find using an internet search engine such as Google. Some are PDF files, can be downloaded and printed, and might not be a bad idea to have around and check every time you might have doubts about a person, or you meet someone new. Also, the book The Sociopath Next Door, by Martha Stout (New York, NY: Harmony, 2005) can be a useful. The book is easy to understand, practical, and also available in many public libraries. Go to: https://ift.tt/1zxdYZG. One should be especially aware of the dangers of being made a target in support groups. Most people in these groups are seeking help and can be at a very vulnerable point in their lives. In this “target-rich environment” participants and counselors need to be especially vigilant to avoid abuse and to keep these groups safe. Leaving a group if it doesn’t feel safe might a simple and good rule of thumb.
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# Develop your emotional intelligence. Making better decisions may be very helpful, too. Most relapses happen because of psychosocial factors (the influence that our emotions and the emotions of others have over our lives), so learning how to deal with these influences can be decisive. There are books that may help us better handle our emotions and the emotions of others. An “old” classic in this field is: How to Make Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie (New York, NY: Gallery Books, 1998), first published in 1936, and still selling well to this day, and available as an audiobook, too. A more recent book on this same topic is: Emotional Intelligence, Why Can It Matter More than IQ, by Daniel Golman (New York, NY: Bantam, 2006). It covers more or less the same issues, but it uses statistics, too. It also contains useful examples, and has an online self-test. The test might not be free, but the book is available in many public libraries in print, and as an ebook or an audiobook. These books are practical in nature, not theoretical, and strive to achieve measurable results. There is also a video online based on the “hand theory of the brain” as explained by psychiatrist Daniel J. Siegel, who presents a simple way to understand how the brain works, and how to use it better. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm9CIJ74Oxw
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# Participate in mental health groups. Many people with addictions also have mental health issues. In these cases, psychotherapy can be very useful, if not indispensable. But consulting a psychotherapist can also be expensive. If no psychotherapist is available, there are some free, peer supported groups that might help, at least temporarily. In larger metropolitan areas sometimes there are groups called Recovery International, a secular program, not related to 12-step programs or to any religion. These groups are free, peer supported, run by volunteers and community members using a cognitive-behavioral approach (an approach based on identifying how we feel and thinking or reasoning around these feelings in order to help us overcome negative emotions). Again, these are open groups, so finding the right one might entail trying a few different ones, and seeing which one is the right fit. Go to: https://ift.tt/2sZfVVU Other free mental health groups can be found through the website Meetup.com™, which sometimes lists local, free, peer supported mental health groups when available. These groups can many times be for depression and/or anxiety, and other times also have other interesting ones, such as groups for overeaters, or for gambling addiction. Be aware, however, that some groups might not work for certain individuals. A rule of thumb is that if a group starts charging you a significant amount money, or pushing you in a direction you don’t want to go to, or trying to sell you something you don’t need, you probably want to think about it. Most well-meaning groups are free, and if they ever ask for contributions, these are minimal and always voluntary.
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# Eat better. Eating well can also be very useful in overcoming an addiction. Some drugs have been found to suppress hunger, and some people might even confuse drug cravings with being hungry. Some studies point out that drug use frequently limits the body’s ability to absorb vitamins A, E, and D, and/or damage the liver. A healthy diet may also help improve moods and reduce stress, and the chances of overcome addiction. Consulting a certified nutritionist on how to improve your diet might be a good idea. Go to: https://medlineplus.gov › Medical Encyclopediaaddictionblog.org/.../healthy-eating-in-addiction-recovery-a-meal-plan-for-addicts-an...
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# Help others. People who overcome an addiction may be able to help people who are still living with it. Today, there are many opportunities to do so. You may want to volunteer in a program. An excellent introductory book to the field is: Aspiring to Become a Substance Abuse Counselor by Fernando Meisenhalter, available on Kindle or paperback. You could also help at 12-step programs, Celebrating Recovery, Tobacco Cessation, SMART Recovery™ or LifeRing™; they all have a number of ways to participate in efforts against drug use. There are also other programs listed on the internet to place volunteers who want to do something about curbing drug use. Helping others may also help to help yourself.
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== Tips ==
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*Enter one step here and then click "Add Step"
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