How To Fight Addiction

Drug and alcohol addiction grips the lives of many Americans who struggle for a way to get sober and stay that way. Hence, learning how to fight addiction prepares a person to feel confident. Additionally, it helps them stay on the course to avoid relapse and enjoy a new sober life as well.

How to Fight Addiction: Step One

This may sound cliche, but it’s an oft-repeated phrase because of the absolute truth of it.  The first step in fighting addiction is admitting you have a problem. Some people realize this after a period of reflection or an event that makes their addiction undeniable. Others, however, realize a substance use disorder has a grip on their lives. Moreover, they’ll realize this after having a confrontation with loved ones, or sometimes through an intervention.

Once a person realizes they have a drug or alcohol addiction, they then can begin to plan for treatment. If they need help, then a family member or friend can help gather the information they need and help them in making a decision on where to go. Additionally, if the individual currently sees a physician or therapist, that person can also contribute suggestions. As a result, they can guide them to the right kind of addiction treatment program.

 How to Fight Addiction with Different Treatment Options 

Finding the best program for each person involves meeting with an intake coordinator and going over the specifics of their situation. The types of program a person enrolls in depends on things like the severity and length of their addiction and their work and family commitments. Several rehab programs exist, and each provides its own unique way to teach someone how to fight addiction.

These programs include:

Detox

This vital first step of treatment allows a person to enter a facility that provides supervision while they detox off all addictive substances. In addition, trained clinicians provide medical and psychological support that helps reduce and eliminate withdrawal symptoms.

Residential Treatment

Transitioning to a residential program after detox provides people with supervised, 24/7 care while they navigate the first stage of recovery. They stay in the facility for an average of 30 to 90 days. While there, they participate in multiple types of therapy and activities designed to strengthen their sobriety.

Outpatient Programs

These types of programs allow people to receive valuable addiction treatment while still being able to live at home. Furthermore, options include regular outpatient, intensive outpatient, and partial hospitalization programs for instance. Lastly, sessions range from 2 to 5 days a week with the amount of time decreasing as the person makes progress.

Sober Living Homes

Sober living homes provide housing for individuals in recovery from addiction. At this point, residents can put into practice what they learned in residential treatment. As a result, in turn, sets them up for success in sobriety once they return to their homes.

How To Fight Addiction by Understanding the Importance of Getting Treatment

A key to understanding how to fight addiction has to do with understanding the importance it holds. Too often, someone struggling with a substance use disorder believes they can tackle the problem without anyone’s help. They attempt to detox alone, which can be dangerous and even deadly due to the types of withdrawal symptoms that can occur. If the person does not seek subsequent professional treatment, they prove likely to relapse quickly.

Attempting to stay sober without receiving treatment sets many people up for failure.  They end up white-knuckling their way through each day, trying to ignore urges to return to substance usage by use of sheer willpower. Fortunately, residential and outpatient programs provide guidance and therapeutic activities that keep participants on the sober path.

Thus, participation individual therapy, group therapy, and holistic treatment help people understand the root of their addiction. Furthermore, they also discover how to battle triggers. Therefore, treatment programs provide professional and peer support. Lastly, they provide resources for help that lasts long beyond the completion of formal treatment.

How To Fight Addiction Relapse: Prevention Methods 

Achieving sobriety counts as an enormous first step in anyone’s recovery. What comes next involves learning to avoid relapsing so that their sobriety stays intact. Some helpful advice on how to fight addiction and avoid relapse includes:

Know Your Triggers

Triggers are events or emotions that cause a person temptation to drink or use drugs again. Learning to combat a trigger begins with doing a deep dive to determine a person’s unique triggers. Common triggers can involve being around a specific person, participating in an activity, or isolating too much. Emotional triggers often come when a person feels anxiety, depression, stress, anger, or sorrow. Therefore, create a plan for how to positively address each trigger instance so relapsing doesn’t feel like the only option.

Eliminate Toxic Relationships

Just because one person in a relationship or social circle decides to get sober doesn’t mean everyone else around them who has a problem will follow suit. When a romantic partner, family member, or friend has their own addiction to drugs or alcohol, this can quickly become a toxic relationship that tips the person in recovery into relapsing. Thus, they should consider ending or taking a break from relationships with people who do not support their recovery through their words and actions.

Keep Mental Health In Check

Many people in recovery from addiction also deal with at least 1 diagnosable mental illness. When a person’s mental health receives proper treatment, including therapy and any needed medication, it reduces the likelihood they will reach for drugs or alcohol to combat symptoms of mental illness.

Make Physical Health A Priority

Making eating healthy and exercising regularly a part of a person’s routine helps promote good physical and mental health. This also empowers a person to feel better able to stay focused on their recovery and avoid relapse.

Achieving Long-Term Recovery 

Enjoying long-term recovery begins with the first step a person takes when they decide to get sober. Committing to detox, residential or outpatient treatment, and any necessary aftercare sets a person up to stay in long-term recovery. When someone contacts Phoenix Rising, we can help plan for every step of their treatment. This sets them up to enter recovery and stay there. Finally, we match their commitment levels in order to help them enjoy the sober life they deserve.

How To Fight Addiction to Drugs and Alcohol in Palm Desert 

The solution to how to fight addiction begins with seeking professional treatment designed to help people overcome their substance use disorder. Phoenix Rising in Palm Springs provides a variety of treatment programs that take a person from detox through residential or outpatient care. We teach you how to understand the disease of addiction and embrace sobriety. Visit our admissions page to find out more.