How to Identify an Addiction and Get Over It

Picture Credits: Dirk Wohlrabe

Addiction: While this nine letter word may sound very harmless, it has the power to suck the happiness out of everyone dealing with it and everyone surrounded by the person going through it. What’s your addiction? It doesn’t matter if you’re dealing with a heavy drinking problem or gambling addiction, the first part of overcoming the problem is identifying it. Most people who develop addiction don’t confront it and realise the gravity of the situation only when things start getting out of hand. 

However, the good news is that you have recognised that you have a problem and are ready to tackle it. Although quitting an addiction is a very complicated process, it is doable. If you are facing these two symptoms, it is about time, you do something about your addiction, before you hit rock bottom.

Tolerance

It is one of the key symptoms of addiction. Tolerance is a psychological process that makes you less sensitive to a drug or behaviour. When you are taking an addictive substance for the first time, you might feel a bit overwhelmed or a certain unpleasantness. But as you continue taking the substance and keep repeating the behaviour, you become less sensitive to it, and you need to increase the amount of dosage to get the same effect. Drugs affect specific parts of your brain to develop a physical tolerance, whereas behaviours such as gambling have psychological effects of excitement that get you hooked. 

Withdrawal

Tolerance and withdrawal go hand in hand. When you develop more tolerance to a substance or a behaviour, you need to keep repeating it. As you become addicted to it, you may experience shaking, feeling sick, stomach problems and/or depression. A person at this stage is helpless and is driven to take the addictive substance or repeat the behaviour. This can be a very difficult situation for an addict, and if you are going through with it, it is best if you do it under medical supervision in a rehab centre. By signing up at www.help4addiction.co.uk, you will be able to get the help you need. 

After you have acknowledged these symptoms and decided that you have to do something about your condition, here are three things you must do to in order to get on the right track.

Write a Journal

After interviewing several addicts, researchers found that each of them said that writing a journal helped them a lot. You should start out by writing about the harmful effects of your addiction, making a list of the changes you want in your life, and why you want to quit. It might not feel very good at the start, but gradually you will become used to it and seeing your commitments in writing will be good for you. 

Make a Schedule 

Another thing you should do is chalk out a plan. You can set a date to motivate you to quit. You can also get professional help and join support programs. These therapy sessions help you understand that you are not alone and that other people are going through similar stuff. Meanwhile, you should also identify what triggers you to engage in addictive behaviour and gradually take up new habits to overcome them. 

Handling Withdrawal

The hardest part about quitting is withdrawal. You can reach the finish line by staying motivated, going through with the set schedule and filling your time with family and friends to stay busy. Everyone slips from time to time. Don’t be ashamed of yourself if you have slipped up in between. Just remember why you wanted to overcome your addiction.

Leave a Comment