9 Tips for Overcoming Meth Addiction

Once you have developed it, it is never going to be easy to break a meth addiction. It can be challenging, both physically and emotionally. You experience a variety of symptoms and problems when you or someone you love is addicted to meth. Staying positive and determined will always help to overcome meth addiction a tad easier. Tell yourself that once you manage to break the addiction and recover completely, the pain and suffer will be worth it. Let's find out what you can do break the addiction.

Steps to Overcoming Meth Addiction

It is important to make up your mind and know that you will have to face several challenges while trying to overcome your meth addiction. Here are some steps to help you move in the right direction:

1. Know Why You Want to Quit

You will need some solid motivation to stay on track and that motivation will come from exactly why you want to quit. No one can tell you or convince you to quit – you have to call the shots only when you are actually ready.

  • You should consider writing down some reasons why it makes sense to stop using meth. You may want to stop because your meth addiction may be hurting your relationship or hitting you financially.
  • You may get arrested if you do not stop.
  • You may seriously want to quit because there are negative health consequences associated with meth addiction, such as severe dental problems, extreme weight loss, skin sores, and risks of contracting hepatitis and HIV.

So, make a list and tell yourself that it really makes great sense to go through all the hassle required to break your addiction.

2. Change Your Friends

It may sound harsh, but you really have to think of keeping no contact with your so-called friends that you have gotten high with. Remove their contacts and remove any other way to contact them or anyone who could provide you with meth. It is even a good idea to change your phone number if negative influences continue to contact you. The idea of overcoming meth addiction will become a lot more difficult if you continue to be in the old environments with people who have introduced you to drugs in the first place.

3. Keep You Distracted

You have to stay busy and focus your energies on something more constructive. Get a job, and if you already have one, consider getting a second one to stay busy for a while. It also helps to start a new hobby just to distract you a bit and avoid any temptation to start taking drugs again.

4. Use Whatever Support You Can Find

Understand that the road to complete sobriety is never going to be smooth, and you need support from friends and family to stay motivated all the time. Positive friends and family members will always help you maintain your focus and even guide you when the going gets tough.

5. Receive Treatment for Your Addiction

Seeking out treatment is an essential part of the whole process of overcoming meth addiction. You can find a variety of treatments for a meth addiction, but you have to determine what suits you the most. You can always consider starting the treatment in an outpatient clinic, residential center, or holistic centers. Work with your doctor to select the best treatment option.

6. Join Support Groups

You can join online and offline support groups for positive influence. You can do individual therapy to express your concerns and discuss more about your struggles and problems. Suggestions and support from people who have successful overcome meth addiction may help keep you motivated throughout recovery. You may even get to know about certain techniques that work better in your case.

7. Avoid Your Triggers

An important factor determining how quickly you manage to overcome your addiction is linked to how efficiently you manage to avoid your triggers. As mentioned already, it is important to avoid spending time with people who remind you of drugs or have been part of the experience. Those environments and people are going to be strong trigger for you, so it is of immense importance to avoid them, at least for the first few years of your recovery. Here are some other triggers you may want to avoid:

  • Do not go to clubs and bars. The idea is to avoid alcohol, even if you are not addicted to it. When you are drunk, you have impaired judgment that can make you hang out with your old buddies who may take you back to your meth addiction.
  • Be careful about the use of opiates and similar prescription medications. Tell your doctor about your history with drugs and ask them to prescribe you with something with a lower chance of relapse.

8. Keep Stress Under Control

You have to stay away from stressful things. When you are under stress, you are more likely to deal with intense meth cravings. Here are a few things you can try to help keep stress under control:

  • Exercise regularly, even if it is a short 15-minute walk in the morning. Anything like gardening, biking, running, and swimming can keep you active. Yoga is another great option. It keeps you active and makes the process of overcoming meth addiction a bit easier.
  • Spend a few minutes every day writing about what causes stress in your life. You should be writing about that day only. Writing alone can help release stress, but you can make it even better by rewriting the end of the events in your own way. Be sure to write in present tense and make yourself believe that the events really happened the way you have written them. This will help you have a more positive outlook about life.
  • Just like writing, you can release stress by talking it out with someone you trust. It could be a friend, a family member, a counselor, or even clergyman. The next time you want to cry, laugh, or even vent a little, find a friend.
  • Engage yourself in some fun-filled activities. You should start to enjoy life more. Find some interesting hobbies, play with your kids, eat out with family members, go for a stroll, or simply spend time sitting in the fresh air for a while to make you feel better about life.
  • Learn to meditate. You can try deep breathing or try other meditation techniques to calm your nerves and keep stress at bay.

9. Get Help If You Relapse

Even if you think you can manage a relapse on your own, it is better to seek help as soon as possible. You should call your therapist or sobriety partner, or go talk to your doctor immediately after you relapse. They will help you get back on track and keep you out of danger. Do not bash yourself for not being able to stay on the right path, as relapse is usually an essential part of the recovery process. Instead, you should take it as an opportunity to learn about your triggers and avoid them in the future. 

 
 
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