What Is the Best Way to Overcome Addiction?

The best way to overcome addiction involves therapy like cognitive behavioral therapy, setting specific goals, learning to cope with things like cravings, removing addictive substances, and recognizing that even if a relapse happens, it’s not a failure.

Overcoming an Addiction

Individuals who struggle with addiction can find that the idea of overcoming an addiction is much more challenging than expected. Some people fall prey to the idea that they can quit at any time or that they are an exception. 

However, it’s challenging for anyone to overcome addiction no matter their background because it is a chronic medical condition and it involves interactions with:

• Genetics
• Environment
• Brain circuits
• And life experiences

Even though overcoming addiction can be challenging, it is treatable, and with the best treatment plan and the right level of support, you can learn to overcome the physical and mental challenges associated with recovery. 

Ways to Overcome Addiction

Overcoming an addiction is most successful with therapy and, in some cases, medication. 

Managing Withdrawal through Detox

The best way to overcome addiction is to start your recovery with detox. Detoxification is a process that helps you manage your withdrawal symptoms as your body flushes out any remaining toxins from the substances you abuse.

Withdrawal symptoms can be physical or psychological, ranging from uncomfortable to life-threatening. Because there are so many levels and risks involved in withdrawal symptoms, it’s essential to receive proper detox treatment from a licensed facility before you continue with the rest of your therapy.

Medication Management

For some people, the best way to overcome addiction starts with medication management. This type of service is provided at certain facilities, and it uses medications to treat withdrawal, help you while you are in treatment, and prevent relapse once you leave your treatment facility.

Medications can be helpful in the short term, especially to treat opioid addiction, but they can also be used long-term, particularly in cases where individuals are struggling with co-occurring mental health disorders and need medication to manage acute or chronic symptoms of their mental health disorder while participating in drug and alcohol rehab.

Therapy

Some of the best ways to overcome addiction involve therapy. If you are prescribed any type of medication to manage your symptoms, the effectiveness of that medication is significantly increased if you simultaneously participate in therapy.

Several forms of psychotherapy can help you develop new behaviors, change the underlying thoughts that contribute to your addiction in the first place, and improve your coping strategies. There is no single form that is best for everyone, and you might try more than one while you attend drug and alcohol rehab.

Some examples include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy helps you identify harmful or negative thought patterns that contribute to harmful emotions and behaviors and then replace them with positive, more realistic ones.
• Acceptance and commitment therapy helps you accept your reality and accept uncomfortable emotions when they might arise.
• Mindfulness therapy makes it easier for you to cope with underlying anxiety or depression by remaining mindful of the present moment, recognizing your emotions for what they are but not letting them control you, and keeping your focus away from ruminations over the past or worries about the future.
• Motivational enhancement therapy helps individuals who are struggling to find the motivation to change.
• Family therapy involves your loved ones and teaches everyone how to best support you during recovery. Studies have found that individuals who have support from their family during drug and alcohol rehab are more likely to complete their program and prevent relapse after.

Coping Strategies

Some of the best ways to overcome addiction involve healthy strategies to cope with things like cravings or triggers. Replacement addictive behaviors are common, where individuals try something else to replace the rewards they receive neurologically and psychologically from addiction.

But with help at a proper treatment center, you can learn to focus on rewarding strategies rather than replacement behavior. These strategies might be things as simple as:

• Going for a walk when you experience a craving
• Reading a book when you are triggered to distract yourself
• Calling a friend
• Watching television

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

It’s important to recognize situations where you might have a co-occurring mental health disorder in addition to addiction. Nearly forty percent of people with an addiction also have a mental health disorder, and without the right type of therapy or medication, treatment only focuses on fixing one part of a two-part problem.

Use Centric Group to Find the Best Ways to Overcome Addiction

There are several ways to overcome addiction; almost all of them can be found at qualified drug and alcohol rehab centers. With facilities like Centric Group, you can take into account things like lifestyle changes, medication, and behavioral therapy that might work best for your needs. Long-term recovery is an ongoing process, and getting help from professionals is often necessary.

Centric Group can help you review several available treatment centers in your area or an area of your choosing. We can help you determine what type of therapy or holistic care might be most appropriate when you need things like medication-assisted treatment or medication management services and what your insurance will cover.Centric Behavioral Health offers top-rated addiction treatment centers near you. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.