Getting rid of addiction is onerous, but why do people fail to overcome their addictions because they do not accept them. Admitting yourself that you are addicted is the first step in the direction of changing your behaviour to live a healthy lifestyle.
Before you learn how you become addicted to certain things and how you can overcome them, you should ask yourself whether or not you are addicted.
Since stigma and shame are associated with it, acknowledging it sounds like a herculean task but admitting it can help you consult a health care provider. If you have a “yes” answer to any of the following questions, you are addicted.
- Do you use more of the substance than in the past, and if your tendency to use that continues to rise?
- Do you have withdrawal symptoms when you quit it?
- Have you ever lied to someone that you have not used that substance?
Now the question is what causes addiction.
Your brain is largely responsible for causing your addiction. Addiction is nothing but craving for something that you do not have control over the use of the substance, and you keep involving yourself with it ignoring the fact that it is deteriorating your mental health.
Until the latest studies, it was assumed that people could be addicted to alcohol and drugs. However, now studies have given more insights and say you may have an addiction to gambling, shopping, and sex.
Here is how your brain becomes addicted to the substance
If you want to understand it in plain words, you can say that when you get pleasure by doing something, you tend to do it repeatedly that you become habitual of overusing that substance, resulting in addiction.
Whatever you do directly impacts your brain, which is why it is good at everything. This is the epicentre of all information – the key centre of receiving and sending signals. Your brain reacts to all pleasures the same way, whether it is originated from taking a drug pill or a sexual encounter. When you get involved in doing something that helps you derive pleasure, it causes a surge of dopamine in your brain.
It is a neurotransmitter that your nervous system uses to send messages to nerve cells. Dopamine is what controls your movement and emotional responses. How much drug you take and which method you use to take the drug can also influence the amount of dopamine released in your brain.
Lately, scientists have discovered that dopamine is not only associated with seeking pleasure, but it also plays a role in transitioning from liking something to becoming addicted to it.
When you involve yourself with an activity that derives pleasure, dopamine is flooded in your brain that starts interacting with other neurotransmitters, which is when you evolve a stimulating behaviour. As a result, your habit of liking someone turns into going after it.
Over time, that activity becomes less pleasurable, and your brain starts demanding more use of that substance. As a result, you start getting more and more involved with that activity because you want to attain the same level of satisfaction or pleasure.
How to get rid of addiction
Now you have got to know that how you become addicted to something, but as soon as you get to know you have an addiction, you should start using ways to deal with it. Addiction may have extremely hazardous impacts.
Most people see withdrawal symptoms when they try to quit, and sometimes they need the help of a professional. If you have an addiction and you want to get rid of it, you should. If you do not have money, you should not hesitate to look for emergency loans from a direct lender.
However, you should also try to get rid of addiction yourself. Though medication can help, you need to control your habits, so you move toward the path of a non-addiction world. Here is what you can do to get rid of addiction:
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Accept that you have an addiction
First off, you need to accept that there is a problem before starting treating it. If it is affecting your normal behaviour or daily routine activities, or if you are feeling guilty of doing it or you have withdrawal symptoms when you try to quit it, it means you have an addiction.
Unless you realise that you are addicted, you will not be able to get rid of it. No matter what kind of addiction you have, you need to accept it if you want to get rid of it. Several factors, physical, emotional, and mental, play a role in helping you quit the addiction.
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Take responsibility
If you are determined to get rid of addiction, you will have to take responsibility. As you know, your brain will start sending you signals to do or use that thing, especially if you come in the same environment zone, you will likely succumb to addiction.
This is not an overnight process. It will take weeks or months. You will have to resist the temptation if you actually want to get rid of addiction. The best way is to have someone to whom you can be accountable.
That person will help you get rid of addiction with more ease. When you know that there is someone to check in on you, you will less likely be able to succumb to your addiction.
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Change your environment
Whenever you get into the same environment, you will automatically be tempted to fall prey to your addiction. This is why it is essential to depart from that environment, especially at that time when you had been doing or using that thing.
Separate yourself from those reminders or surroundings that encourage addiction. For instance, if you are trying to battle against your addiction to alcohol, you should ensure that you have removed the bar from your house.
If you have been drinking with your friends, try to avoid meeting with friends at that particular time that could force you to give in. You will be able to get rid of addiction-related behaviour if you try to change the environment that can cause you to relapse.
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Distract your mind
When you start getting tempted to do or use the same thing, you should immediately divert your mind. By diverting your mind, you will get busy doing that activity. This will help you be away from those addictive thoughts. You should start talking to someone, or you should cook a meal in the kitchen.
If you have nothing to do, you should take a stroll down the street. By being busy until the urge passes away will help you overcome your addiction. However, you need to ensure that you do not think about that yourself. Otherwise, the urge will come back, and you will likely fall prey to addiction.
The bottom line
Getting rid of addiction is not a straightaway process. You need to identify it and then find the most suitable ways, so you do not relapse. You should not mind consulting a doctor.
If you do not have enough money, you should take out installment loans with no credit check. By consulting a doctor, you will be able to get rid of addiction more easily.