18th September 2019 • Sticky Post

10 Ways to Overcome Addiction

It’s not easy to overcome addiction. For those afflicted, it can be almost impossible to visualize. At times it will seem incredibly difficult to accomplish. But you can do it. You probably became addicted because of pain or trauma. It may be that a chemical imbalance or genetic predisposition was a factor. You might have stumbled into dependence on powerful prescription painkillers. But in order to beat your addiction, one of the first steps you must take is coming to terms with its root causes.

Almost no one conquers addiction alone. The first step you should take is finding health-care professionals you trust, who take an approach that meets your individual needs. There isn’t one formula that works for everyone, and you’ll find a wide variety of approaches and strategies for creating and maintaining sobriety. Before choosing a treatment provider, you should determine what therapies and circumstances you think will work for you. With that in mind, let’s examine the steps on your path towards a healthy, addiction-free life.

1) Therapy and Counseling

Individual therapy is highly effective because it allows addicts to examine their unique traumas and triggers. The wonderful feature of group therapy is that it allows sharing and fellowship between recovering addicts who benefit greatly from friendship and support, and it lets participants share strategies and insights on their affliction. Most comprehensive treatment programs will offer patients a mixture of group and individual therapy, and both have been clinically proven to dramatically improve outcomes.

2) Support Groups

These programs are immensely valuable because they allow former addicts to guide those struggling with addiction through the recovery journey. They also allow those rebuilding their lives access to a wide network of peers who can offer support and friendship at a time when it might be unwise to spend time with problematic friends and family members. There’s no teacher like experience, and the advice of those who’ve gone through the harrowing experience of addiction and come out the other side is immeasurably useful. While the “Anonymous” family of groups put a religious slant on peer support, other options like SMART Recovery and Iboga Tree Healing House’s online aftercare program may fit better with your experiences and values.

3) Detox and Clinical Therapy

Detoxification can be a horrific ordeal with substances like opioids or heroin, but it doesn’t have to be. Finding the right treatment to get you through this phase of recovery can remove one of the biggest obstacles standing between your addicted self and a new life. Medical supervision and anti-craving drugs can help you through, getting all traces of methamphetamine, benzos, or whatever substance you’re dependent on out of your system, so you can focus on dealing with the behavioral and psychological aspects of rebuilding yourself.

4) Alternative Detox Options

A number of powerful psychedelic and entheogenic substances have shown immense promise in treating addiction and deserve to be considered by those entering treatment. Many addictions experts, like Dr. Gabor Mate, have embraced treatments which allow the addicted to explore the roots of trauma and learn to live with themselves. Iboga has been shown to offer the same benefits in terms of exploring past trauma, as well as re-wiring key neural functions to a pre-addicted state. Iboga has also been proven to dramatically reduce withdrawal symptoms for opiate and opioid addiction, and to reduce cravings for a period of approximately 6 months. Other psychoactive substances that have shown promise in treating addiction, including psilocybin and MDMA, have helped some addicts through their recovery, but at this stage, the evidence supporting their use is mostly anecdotal.

5) Dual Diagnosis

When patients have a condition that leads to or exacerbates addiction, such as a mental health disorder, addiction treatment becomes more complex. Not every treatment center is equipped to provide integrated treatment that addresses both afflictions at once. If you suffer from dual diagnosis, it’s imperative that you find treatment centers and professionals who are capable of providing simultaneous treatments for both of your disorders. Some treatments which may be effective for one of your conditions might worsen the other. You need to find responsible and experienced practitioners who can find the right treatment options for you.

6) Family Involvement

Addiction often has its roots in family dynamics. If your parents are alcoholics or addicts, you are far more likely than the average person to share their addiction. There is no consensus among treatment providers on how best to deal with familial issues. Some centers opt to seclude the addict to work on themselves without possibly toxic interactions. Others include the family, in order to correct the issues that could harm their loved one’s recovery while leveraging their love and support. We would recommend involving families in treatment, as studies have shown family support can predict positive outcomes, but some may benefit in their effort to overcome addiction without subjecting themselves to negative or toxic relatives.

7) Treatment Centers

Inpatient and outpatient treatments each come with a set of benefits and drawbacks, it’s up to you to determine which will give you the greatest chance to overcome addiction. Inpatient treatment offers supervised detox, and the opportunity to undergo an intensive program of individual and group therapy. It can also offer a luxury experience which allows the user to relax and recover in an idyllic setting. On the other hand, outpatient treatment can allow those in recovery to attend daily meetings and have their withdrawal and recovery monitored by a caregiver. Outpatient treatment allows recovering addicts to receive therapy without putting their lives on hold for 30-90 days and lets them adjust to their sober lives incrementally.  

8) Aftercare

Aftercare is an essential component of any effort to overcome addiction. When you finish treatment, your recovery journey has just begun. It’s time to develop strategies for fighting off craving and dealing with triggers. Peer support groups are highly recommended, as are holistic therapies such as mindfulness training, yoga, and breathwork. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a treatment that has helped many addicts break free from negative automatic thinking and deal with their cravings in a positive manner.

Another essential component of aftercare is building the foundation for a healthy life. It can be helpful to start by outlining your value system, with a focus on honesty, trust, and forgiveness. Addiction has taken you far away from your best self, and outlining and committing to values you may have abandoned will help you rebuild connections with your community, your family, and yourself. It can also be very helpful to build a reward system for accomplishing goals both large and small. You have the opportunity to enjoy a world of things and places at this stage of recovery, and rewarding yourself with something as small as an ice cream or as big as an international vacation can return positive motivation to your life.

9) Connecting

Virtually nobody can overcome addiction alone. One of the most beautiful parts of the recovery journey is finding support from the people around you as you reclaim your life. As we’ve already mentioned, peer-based support groups and re-building family connections can greatly improve your chances for success. As you go through treatment, remember that the therapists, peers, psychologists, sponsors, and caretakers you encounter are an invaluable resource. Take advantage of their experience, and the love and support offered by family members and true friends. And before you choose a treatment provider, make sure that they can offer you the resources you’ll need after discharge!

10) Set Your Goals

It’s easy to say you’re ready to overcome addiction, but triumphing over it is the work of a lifetime. And the decision to break free is yours and yours alone. It begins with admitting to yourself that a substance or behavior has taken over your life and that it’s time to regain control. It’s helpful to start by reflecting honestly on all the harmful effects your addiction has had on you and your loved ones. Think about all of the changes addiction has made in you, and reflect on the person you were, the person you’ve become, and the person you’d like to be in the future. It won’t be easy to become that person, but at Iboga Tree Healing House we have seen our clients emerge from the wreckage of addiction and build happy and productive lives. If you’re ready, contact us today!