With the New Year upon us, many people will resolve to break bad habits. These bad habits may include smoking, drinking or drug use. While it is a positive sign that they are making the resolution, often it is not enough for someone to fully stop. Instead of making a verbal or internal resolution, these types of habit should be backed up with the appropriate action, including seeking out the help of a professional.
How to Succeed
The first step that someone needs to take in order to address a problem is admit that they have one. If you or a loved one has a problem with drinking or drugs and has made the decision that this will be the year they break the habit, here are some steps that will help propel you towards success.
• Seek out the help of a professional – for some, the extra support that family and friends cannot provide is necessary. There are many experienced drug and alcohol abuse counselors that you can call for some support and as a means of seeking outside counseling.
• Join Support Groups – Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) are both support groups that you can take advantage of. These chapters exist all over the United States and are always accepting of new members. Often, in these groups you are paired up with a mentor – someone who is going through the same thing – whom you can rely on for support and provide support to. Family members and loved ones of those suffering from addiction can also find support in an Al-Anon group and learn coping techniques.
• Rehabilitation Facilities – Sometimes, addictions are so severe that they cannot be broken without the necessity of a rehabilitation facility. Here, they will not only go through the detoxification process, but they will learn coping techniques and also how to fill the void that the drugs and alcohol have filled in their lives. Counseling is also a large part of rehab as it digs into the core of what fostered the addiction in the first place.
Battling any type of addiction or problem is difficult. By understanding the true nature of an addiction and accepting the fact that it requires more than just making a resolution, the path to recovery is that much clearer. New Year resolutions may not cut it with a true addiction and it is imperative that the right help is sought especially if the individual has been drinking heavily over the holidays it is even more important to seek medical advice. Withdrawal can be acute and fatal. Look for a detox facility in your area before trying to go cold turkey if you are a problem drinker.
