Addictions, Distractions, Discomfort & Uncertainty

Are you thinking about how to quit drugs or how to help an addict? If you’re in either situation, you may be facing a lot of discomfort and uncertainty at the moment. Addiction can be very challenging to overcome, but nevertheless, it is not impossible. There are numerous steps that you can take to make things better.

One thing to first consider is whether or not addiction is a disease. You may have read before that experts call addiction a disease, but there are subconscious triggers that occur for many people by calling it that. When we see addiction as a disease, for many people, it means that the only ways that we get to treat it are going through medical intervention, medicated rehabilitation, specifically-designed support groups, or particular types of counseling.

We shouldn’t forget that willpower, personal initiative, maturity, and desire all contribute mightily to the ability to overcome an addiction, staying sober and defeating an addiction. Let’s first understand why addiction happens in the first place and how we can better look at addiction so that it becomes more manageable and easier to overcome. 

Understanding Addiction and Why It Happens

If you’re going through problems with addiction, what you ought to affirm is that it’s not going to last forever. It’s not true that once you have an addiction, you’ll always be an addict. If you think this way, not only is it wrong, but it is also harmful. Thinking of yourself this way means that you’re always going to be an addict or you’re someone who’s likely to be in recovery from your addiction.

Addiction happens many times because a person wants to cope with something difficult within themselves or with the world. It often roots from the problems that we have in our life. To be able to conquer addiction successfully, it’s essential to be self-aware and to learn new coping skills, as well as to change the environment that you have. Another crucial part of the process is being able to identify the problems as well as the solutions that are going to work best for you - in relationships, in finances, and in expressing your life's purpose. 

How to Overcome Addiction

When you find yourself dealing with addiction problems, know that there are vital steps that you can take to achieve recovery from addiction. It’s crucial that you have good reasons to want to give up your bad habits and change yourself for the better. Have you made attempts in the past to give up your addiction? Think about those and assess why they didn’t work successfully. 

When you’re planning for your steps toward recovery, set specific as well as measurable goals. For example, set the date when you plan to start quitting your drug addiction habits.  It does not have to be today, but rather you can intend it in the future and prepare yourself accordingly.

One of the most straightforward steps to take is to remove the things that remind you of your addiction.

Finally, tell your family and friends about your plan to reduce or eliminate the addiction. Ask them for support so that your recovery journey will be much bearable.  

Addictions are Not Just about Drugs or Alcohol

Addictions are not limited to illicit substances like drugs or alcohol. It’s more than just that because there are many types of addictions. Some people have addictions to shopping, social media, television, technology, and gambling. Others can’t seem to control their need to work more, achieve perfection, or get the approval of others. As you can see, we can be addicted to so many other things that are seemingly harmless. 

We become hooked to these things because there’s a part of us that needs to be soothed from all the stresses that we feel on a day-to-day basis. We feel anxious, insecure, depressed, angry, or sad, and we need something that can bring comfort. That’s where these addictions come in and take control of our lives. 

Whatever your addiction may be right now, you surely want to regain control over your life and kick the bad habits. The first thing to do for many is to be able to recognize that what you have is an addiction. You may have all the reasons in the world to justify your habits so you can continue doing them. But unless you acknowledge that it has indeed become a problem for you, you won’t be able to find the solutions to the addiction.

Secondly, you have to be resolved that you need to do something about it. It’s not enough that you recognize what’s wrong, but you also need to take action. It is only by taking action that you can make the change happen. The truth is that most of the time, your addiction doesn’t really soothe you from your discomfort. It is a mere distraction that is pulling you away from facing the truth. To be able to deal with the addiction and the underlying problem that led to it, you have to find it in yourself to be ready to face discomfort and uncertainty. 

Final Thoughts

No one wants to feel uncomfortable, but there is no real change and no real growth that will come out of being ONLY within our comfort zones. Addiction, be it drugs or shopping or whatever else, is something that happened because you want to take away the discomfort from your life. But what we ought to see is that discomforts are not all that bad. It’s not something that we should always run away from. Sometimes, we have to face it head-on and see what it’s trying to teach us. 

Hopefully, this post, as well as any drug addiction essay or other materials about overcoming discomfort and uncertainty, will be able to help you in your journey. It is vital to have someone who can support you as you go through all this. So, do tell a close friend or someone you trust about what you’re going through. Your loved ones are there to help you, so allow them to be a part of your healing process. There are many ways that you can show self-love, and one of those is accepting the help of others.