Addiction is a terrible, life-altering condition that takes its toll not just on those who are suffering from it and with it, but their friends and family too – it’s hard to care for someone who has an addiction, and it’s hard to live a happy life when you’re addicted to substances, whatever that substance might happen to be. 

In many cases and for many people, it can feel like an impossible struggle to overcome, but although it’s certainly hard, and it might seem never-ending and overwhelming, there are things you can do and help you can get that will help you overcome addiction and live a happy, better life. With that in mind, keep reading to find out what some of your options are and start your route to recovery sooner rather than later; when it comes to addiction, every second counts. 

Acknowledge The Problem 

One of the biggest issues for those who have an addiction, at least when it comes to getting help and working out how to overcome that addiction, is that they don’t want to (or just can’t) acknowledge that there’s a problem in the first place. After all, a few drinks there or some recreational drugs there, is it really an issue to be all that worried about? 

The answer is yes, it is, and the first step in overcoming addiction is to understand that and realize that you’re not helping yourself by ignoring that you have a problem. You need to accept that there’s an issue, and once you do that, you will have reached the point where you can start healing in whatever way that might be – until you do acknowledge you have a problem, however, that healing is going to be a long way away. 

You’ll need to face the reality of what you’re doing to your body, mind, and to your relationships, and that’s going to mean you have to be entirely honest with yourself – not always an easy thing to do, especially if the addiction came about because you were trying to get away from other issues in your life. However, this acceptance and understanding really can be the catalyst to a better life, so it’s worth doing it, even if it’s hard and unpleasant – good things will come afterwards. 

Get Expert Help

Once you know there’s a problem and you feel ready to make the important changes in your life that will help you overcome your addiction and ensure you have a much better and happier life afterwards, the best thing you can do is ask for help – expert help. You can speak to therapists, experts in addictions, medical professionals, or perhaps find a specialist clinic to go to that handles your specific situation, such as VA alcohol rehab. There’s a lot of choice when you start looking, and that’s what’s so great about asking for an expert’s assistance – you’re sure to find exactly the right professional and place to get the help you need. 

It might feel as though you can get over your addiction by yourself once you know it’s a problem and you’re determined to get past it, but although some people can certainly do that, most people need help – after all, it’s not just a matter of strong willpower; there’s a physical aspect too because once you’re addicted to drugs or alcohol, your body will have some major health issues once you stop using those things. Without expert help, those cravings can become so bad that you can’t help but go back to your old ways, no matter how much you might not want to. 

Then there are the physical symptoms you have to go through when you stop using your substance of choice – it’s called going through withdrawal, and it can be dangerous if it’s not monitored properly. Once again, being in a safe, secure place with medical experts around you is the best choice for you so that you can start your new life in a positive way and not end up getting hurt in the process. 

Have A Support System 

You’ve acknowledged you have a problem and you’ve started to explore all the potential experts who might be able to help you (maybe you’ve already started treatment) and that’s wonderful. However, to make things even better, it’s a good idea to have a strong support system around – it’s actually something that could be essential to your recovery. 

Why is a support system so important? It’s because it gives you a good foundation to work from – you’ll know there are people out there who love you and who want you to succeed, and although you should only try to overcome addiction because you want to and you realize it’s the right thing to do rather than doing it for someone else (if you do it only for someone else, you’re much more likely to relapse because your heart wasn’t in the decision), knowing that you’ve got these people around you is a great boost and can help you keep going even when it feels hard or perhaps impossible. 

Support groups can be a fantastic option as well if you don’t want to involve your family and friends. It can actually sometimes be easier to have the support of strangers because it’s easier to be open and honest in front of people you don’t really know, but who are going through the same thing you are. You’ll know which option is right for you, and you might even want to do both – there’s nothing to stop you from joining in with various support groups (in person or online) and also enjoying the unwavering support of real-life friends and family. There’s no such thing as too much support, so take it where you can find it and make it work for you. 

Set Realistic Goals 

Something that’s going to be hugely important to you if you want to overcome addiction and enjoy a better life in the future is to set realistic goals for yourself and your recovery. In fact, this is something that you’ll probably find the experts and the people in your support group not only suggest you do, but it could even be part of your treatment and recovery, which goes to show how important it is that you do it. 

The fight against addiction is something that you’re always going to have to deal with, even when you’ve gone through rehab and made your life a better one – the temptation will always be there. That’s why having goals can be such a good thing; if you’re always working towards something, both in the short term and the long term, you’ll be able to focus on other things and not let your addiction back into your life. 

Your goals should be milestones that help you move forward on your recovery journey, and they’ll also help you understand where you’re going in life and what you can do. You’ll know what direction to take when you have to make an important decision, for example, because you’ll have those all-important goals to work towards. 

On top of that, if your goals are milestones and you can tick them off your list as you go, they’ll also show you how far you’ve come since the moment you decided to kick your addiction. For those days when things are feeling more difficult than others or you think you’ve not made a lot of progress, taking a look at how many goals you’ve reached will show you exactly how far you’ve come and help you keep pushing yourself onward. 

Develop Healthy Habits

If you’re trying to get over an addiction, it’s important to have something healthy in its place, which is why developing healthy habits makes so much sense. In other words, your old habits were unhealthy and potentially caused a lot of mental, phyiscal, and emotional damage, so having new habits that are good for your mental, physical, and emotional health is the right way to go. 

Try to make a routine that takes this into account and allows you to do all the things you need to to keep you happy and healthy. You’ll want to do regular exercise, for example, and you’ll need to cook healthy food. Plus, don’t forget how important sleep is – make sure your routine includes a decent bedtime so you can get the right amount of sleep and allow your body and mind to heal even more (you’ll feel so much better when you do). 

You can start a new hobby (or more than one hobby as well), which can be beneficial for all kinds of reasons. Firstly, it will give you something to do and focus on when you’re starting to miss using your chosen substance (and no matter how bad it was, you’ll feel like that sometimes), plus it will keep your mind busy and help you be as mindful as possible, and that means you’ll be less stressed, and since stress is a trigger for substance abuse, having less of it can only ever be a good thing. 

When you’ve got good, healthy habits in place of old, unhealthy ones, your life is sure to get better.