How to Recover From Drug Addiction

Recovery from drug abuse requires more than just getting clean. As with other diseases, there can be relapses. With proper motivation and an ongoing investment in sobriety, treatments can work. You will need evaluation of co-existing mental health needs, education about addiction and lessons in healthier ways to cope with problems. Support in all stages of recovery is essential.

Instructions

• 1

  Take a look at your motivation. Willingness to change will play a large role in your success. This desire can come from within or be influenced by outside factors such as family, employment problems or even a legal mandate. Regardless of how much you pay or where you go, the more you want to recover, the better you will do.

• 2

  Educate yourself about the disease of addiction, which can have genetic roots. Addiction is not a character defect, but for an addict in denial, this progressive problem worsens without treatment and may even result in death. Only abstinence puts this disease into remission.

• 3

  Abstain from all other mind- and mood-altering drugs. You may even turn to another drug when you're no longer using your drug of choice. Known as cross-addiction, it is not recovery.

• 4

  Be screened for co-existing mental health conditions; you may be self-medicating. This condition is known as a dual diagnosis, and is common to those who abuse substances. Because the symptoms overlap, the only way to accurately determine your mental health needs is to abstain from drugs.

• 5

  Surround yourself with support. Seek inpatient or outpatient substance abuse treatment, depending of the severity of your symptoms and other life circumstances. You'll learn to manage negative emotions such as anger, sadness, grief and depression without drugs. You may want to journal, practice relaxation exercises, set boundaries and communicate assertively with others. Create a support system of people who value sobriety.

• 6

  Formulate a relapse prevention plan. Identify triggers (people, places, and events) that contribute to your drug use and prepare ahead of time with healthy ways to deal with them. Maintain balance in your life with exercise, proper medical care and recreational activities. Locate ongoing substance abuse resources such as an aftercare group at the treatment center or a local Narcotics Anonymous meeting.

• 7

  Don't beat yourself up for mistakes. Substance abuse is a disease that cannot be cured; only remission is possible. Recovery is a process, not an event, and relapse is a possibility. Consider a relapse a tool for learning rather than a reason to revert to old behaviors.