Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhy Quitting Is DifficultStarting the ProcessAddiction TreatmentsManaging WithdrawalAvoid RelapseTips for Overcoming an Addiction
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Why Quitting Is Difficult
Starting the Process
Addiction Treatments
Managing Withdrawal
Avoid Relapse
Tips for Overcoming an Addiction
People who have a substance use disorder often find that overcoming it is more challenging than they expected. They may feel that addiction is a myth and they canquitany time they want or that they are an exception to the rule. This can also occur with behavioral addictions involving activities such as eating, sex, gambling, shopping, and exercise.
Learning how to overcome an addiction is important for anyone experiencing asubstance use disorder (SUD),alcohol use disorder (AUD), orbehavioral addiction. While challenging, recognizing that there is a problem and learning more about the process of quitting are important first steps in recovery.
This article discusses what you will need to do to overcome an addiction and offers tips that can help. It also covers the symptoms of withdrawal that you might experience and some of the effective treatment options that are available.
If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
Why Overcoming Addiction Is So Difficult
According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, addiction is a “treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences.”
People continue to engage in harmful behaviors despite negative consequences because addiction changes the brain’s reward system, which increases the desire for the substances or experiences. These changes in the brain also affect impulse control and judgment, which makes quitting that much more challenging.
Though addiction recovery is challenging, addiction is treatable. With supportive resources and the right treatment approach, you can overcome the physical and mental challenges you face in order to recover.
RecapAddiction leads to changes in the brain that make quitting more difficult. Fortunately, addiction is treatable and there are things that you can do to improve your success in overcoming your addiction.
Recap
Addiction leads to changes in the brain that make quitting more difficult. Fortunately, addiction is treatable and there are things that you can do to improve your success in overcoming your addiction.
Recognizing Alcoholism as a Disease
According to one model of behavior change known as thetranstheoretical model, making any kind of change involves a process that starts with pre-contemplation and moves into contemplation.
During these early stages of the process, you might be in denial about the effects of your addiction. As you become more aware of the problems you are facing, you might then struggle with feelings of ambivalence even as you become more aware of your need to overcome your addiction.
Once you make that decision to change, however, you can begin the process of preparing to take action.
The Stages of Change Model of Overcoming Addiction
Decide to Change
The decision to change is one of the most important steps in overcoming an addiction. By acknowledging that a change is needed, it means that you recognize that there is a problem and have a desire to address it.
Making the decision to change and deciding what that will look like is a process that often takes time. This is known as the contemplation stage because it involves thinking about whether to change and how.
Ambitious goals are not always best, however. It is better to set a goal that you will actually achieve than to plan to quit “cold turkey” and end up relapsing, which can be more dangerous than simply continuing without any changes.
Consulting a doctor, addiction counselor, or psychologist is particularly helpful at this stage as they can help you understand the risks and what can help alleviate them.
Harm Reduction StrategiesDuring the pre-contemplation and contemplation stages of change, a harm reduction approach may be helpful. Harm reduction recognizes that while total abstinence is the goal, it is a process that takes time.Although quitting entirely is the best path to wellness, reducing or eliminating the most harmful substance use or behavior is a huge improvement and will greatly reduce the harm caused.
Harm Reduction Strategies
During the pre-contemplation and contemplation stages of change, a harm reduction approach may be helpful. Harm reduction recognizes that while total abstinence is the goal, it is a process that takes time.Although quitting entirely is the best path to wellness, reducing or eliminating the most harmful substance use or behavior is a huge improvement and will greatly reduce the harm caused.
Prepare to Change
Once you are clear on your goal, you may still need to prepare to change. Preparations include removing addictive substances from your home as well as eliminating triggers in your life that may make you more likely to use those substances again.
This often means getting rid of paraphernalia or other items that might trigger your desire to use a substance or engage in a harmful behavior. You may also find it necessary to change your routine so that you have less contact with people or settings that trigger cravings.
Other ways to prepare include deciding what approach you plan to use to overcome your addiction and getting the resources that you need to be successful.
Seek Social Support
Perhaps the hardest preparations to make concern social relationships. For people living with addictions, some of their relationships may revolve around addictive behaviors. In such cases,setting boundarieswithin those relationships and joining aself-help groupsuch asAlcoholics Anonymous (AA)can be helpful for providing a group of people who understand what they are going through.
Lonelinesscan be a challenge when you are quitting. You may have lost touch with old friends and loved ones, and changing your behavior may make it difficult to spend time around people who are still using substances or engaging in certain behaviors. But finding people who support your recovery can be very helpful and may improve your outcomes.
Take time to contactfriends and family who will support youin your goals. You might also want to let those friends who drink, use drugs, or engage in addictive behaviors know that you are planning to change.
They may not understand—or you may be pleasantly surprised. Either way, it’s a good idea to let them know of your goal and what they can do to support it (even if that means taking a break from the friendship for a time).
How to Create Social Support
Reach Out to Healthcare Providers
For alcohol and drug addictions, it is a good idea to talk to a doctor or local drug clinic about whether you need medical help in quitting. There are options for medications to help alleviate withdrawal symptoms. In some cases, you may need medical supervision during the detox process.
If you have an underlying mental health problem, such as anxiety or depression, it could worsen during the withdrawal phase. Healthcare providers can be very supportive and helpful while navigating these challenges.
RecapThe first step in overcoming addiction involves deciding to make a change. From there, preparing, planning, finding support, and talking to a healthcare provider can help put you on a path to a successful recovery.
The first step in overcoming addiction involves deciding to make a change. From there, preparing, planning, finding support, and talking to a healthcare provider can help put you on a path to a successful recovery.
Best Drug Addiction Treatment Centers
Get Treatment to Overcome an Addiction
Psychotherapy
Behavioral therapies and other types of psychotherapy can help people improve their coping skills, develop new behavioral patterns, and change the underlying thoughts that often contribute to addiction. Different types of therapy that may help include:
Get Support With These Online Therapy Programs
Medications
Medications can be utilized to treat symptoms of withdrawal, help people remain in treatment, and prevent relapse. The type of medication a doctor prescribes depends on the type of addiction that is being treated. For example, there are different medications available to treat opioid, nicotine, and alcohol addiction.
Medications can sometimes be helpful in both the short term and the long term. Talk to a doctor about the options that are available to and appropriate for you.
Press Play for Advice On Overcoming Addiction
Looking for a Psychiatrist? Try One of These 9 Best Online Psychiatry Services
Manage Withdrawal Symptoms
Withdrawal symptomscan be a difficult aspect of overcoming addiction for both substance and behavioral addictions. With substance addictions, the physiological aspects of withdrawal can be extremely uncomfortable like a bad flu, or can even be life-threatening. For this reason, it is a good idea to talk to a doctor about the best way and the best place to quit a substance.
You can also talk to a doctor about medications that can help you cope with the symptoms of withdrawal.
Fortunately, most of the acute symptoms of withdrawal pass within a week or two of quitting. However, some people who quit an addiction find that certain withdrawal symptoms seem to go on and on. This is known aspost-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS), and it can continue for weeks, months, or even years in some cases.
In addition, addictions can sometimes mask underlying mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and even psychosis. If you are feeling blue or agitated, or you are concerned that the world or other people seem strange or upsetting since you quit, talk with a doctor. There are effective treatments that can help.
While it can be disheartening and frustrating,relapseis quite common. However, as the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) explains, relapse does not mean that treatment has failed.The chronic nature of addiction means that relapsing is often part of the quitting process.
Around 40% to 60% of people working to overcome a substance use disorder will relapse at some point. However, it is important to recognize that this rate is comparable to relapse rates for other chronic health conditions such as hypertension and asthma.
Common reasons for relapse include:
Dangers of RelapseRelapse is common, but it can also be dangerous and even fatal in the case of some substances. The risk of dying from an overdose is extremely high if you have been through withdrawal because your tolerance of the drug will be much lower than it was before you quit.Make sure you have someone with you if you decide to use again.
Dangers of Relapse
Relapse is common, but it can also be dangerous and even fatal in the case of some substances. The risk of dying from an overdose is extremely high if you have been through withdrawal because your tolerance of the drug will be much lower than it was before you quit.Make sure you have someone with you if you decide to use again.
Remember that relapse is not a sign that you have failed. The first thing to do when you realize you have relapsed is to understand what happened. Understanding why you relapsed is often one of the most important parts of truly overcoming a substance use disorder.
Once you understand your triggers, you can put things in place to reduce the chance of relapsing again. You can then apply what you learned from the first time you quit or cut down to be more successful next time.
5 Relapse Triggers and How to Prepare for Them
Quitting is a different experience for everyone. Some people find it empowering. Others find it painful, difficult, and frustrating, sometimes needing many attempts before achieving their goal. Still, others discover new sides to themselves during the quitting process (a greater capacity for compassion, for example).
There is no “right” way to feel while you are quitting. However, if you are feeling depressed or find yourself constantly wanting to return to the addictive behavior, you should seek support and treatment.
Anticipate Changes in Relationships
Your relationships and friendships are likely to change as you overcome your addiction. It may take time to appreciate a new normal. However, it can also take time and effort for trust to be re-established if you have hurt friends or family while you were actively involved in your addiction. Strengthening positive relationships with the supportive people in your life can play an important part in your recovery and continued abstinence.
Avoid Replacement Addictive Behaviors
Addictive behaviors have similar neurological and psychological processes and create rewarding feelings and sensations, soreplacementaddictive behaviorsare common among those trying to overcome an addiction.Focusing on finding rewarding, healthy strategies that support your long-term recovery.
Find Distractions
Look for things that will help occupy your time and keep your mind off of drug cravings. Even simple things like talking to a friend, watching a television show, reading a book, or going for a walk can provide a sufficient distraction while you wait for a craving to pass.
Treat Co-Occurring Mental Health Conditions
The other important aspect of avoiding replacement addictions is to address any underlying mental health problems. Substance use commonly occurs alongside other mental health conditions.
Research has found that of the 20.3 million adults in the U.S. who have a substance use disorder, 37.9% also have another type of mental illness.
Addictions can cover up past trauma or underlying feelings of emptiness, sadness, or fear.Psychological therapies, as well as medications, can provide long-term relief for these problems, which addictions tend to worsen over time.
How to Stay Sober
A Word From Verywell
There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to addiction recovery. Lifestyle changes, behavioral therapy, medications, and mutual support groups may all play a role in your treatment, but it is important to find the approach that works best for your needs.
Long-term recovery is not a final destination but rather an ongoing process of facing and coping with life without retreating into addictive behaviors. It takes continuous commitment, which can waver at any time—particularly times of stress.
Seek help when you need it. Others in recovery or professionals who work in addiction understand that you still need support.
14 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Society of Addiction Medicine.Definition of addiction.National Institutes of Health.Drugs, brains, and behavior: The science of addiction.Lassiter PS, Culbreth JR.Theory and Practice of Addiction Counseling.SAGE Publications.Hawk M, Coulter RWS, Egan JE, et al.Harm reduction principles for healthcare settings.Harm Reduct J. 2017;14(1):70. doi:10.1186/s12954-017-0196-4Lassiter PS, Culbreth JR.Theory and Practice of Addiction Counseling.SAGE Publications.Strickland JC, Smith MA.The effects of social contact on drug use: Behavioral mechanisms controlling drug intake.Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2014;22(1):23-34. doi:10.1037/a0034669Polcin DL, Korcha R.Social support influences on substance abuse outcomes among sober living house residents with low and moderate psychiatric severity.J Alcohol Drug Educ. 2017;61(1):51-70.Hofmann SG, Asnaani A, Vonk IJ, Sawyer AT, Fang A.The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses.Cognit Ther Res. 2012;36(5):427-440. doi:10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1National Institute on Drug Abuse.Can addiction be treated successfully?.Drugs, Brains, Behavior: The Science of Addiction.Diaper AM, Law FD, Melichar JK.Pharmacological strategies for detoxification.Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2014;77(2):302-314. doi:10.1111/bcp.12245Tiffany ST, Wray JM.The clinical significance of drug craving.Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2012;1248:1-17. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06298.xPettersen H, Landheim A, Skeie I, et al.How social relationships influence substance use disorder recovery: A collaborative narrative study.Subst Abuse. 2019;13:1178221819833379. doi:10.1177/1178221819833379Blanco C, Okuda M, Wang S, Liu SM, Olfson M.Testing the drug substitution switching-addictions hypothesis. A prospective study in a nationally representative sample.JAMA Psychiatry. 2014;71(11):1246-53. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.1206Han B, Compton WM, Blanco C, Colpe LJ.Prevalence, treatment, and unmet treatment needs of US adults with mental health and substance use disorders.Health Aff (Millwood). 2017 Oct 1;36(10):1739-1747. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2017.0584
14 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Society of Addiction Medicine.Definition of addiction.National Institutes of Health.Drugs, brains, and behavior: The science of addiction.Lassiter PS, Culbreth JR.Theory and Practice of Addiction Counseling.SAGE Publications.Hawk M, Coulter RWS, Egan JE, et al.Harm reduction principles for healthcare settings.Harm Reduct J. 2017;14(1):70. doi:10.1186/s12954-017-0196-4Lassiter PS, Culbreth JR.Theory and Practice of Addiction Counseling.SAGE Publications.Strickland JC, Smith MA.The effects of social contact on drug use: Behavioral mechanisms controlling drug intake.Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2014;22(1):23-34. doi:10.1037/a0034669Polcin DL, Korcha R.Social support influences on substance abuse outcomes among sober living house residents with low and moderate psychiatric severity.J Alcohol Drug Educ. 2017;61(1):51-70.Hofmann SG, Asnaani A, Vonk IJ, Sawyer AT, Fang A.The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses.Cognit Ther Res. 2012;36(5):427-440. doi:10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1National Institute on Drug Abuse.Can addiction be treated successfully?.Drugs, Brains, Behavior: The Science of Addiction.Diaper AM, Law FD, Melichar JK.Pharmacological strategies for detoxification.Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2014;77(2):302-314. doi:10.1111/bcp.12245Tiffany ST, Wray JM.The clinical significance of drug craving.Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2012;1248:1-17. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06298.xPettersen H, Landheim A, Skeie I, et al.How social relationships influence substance use disorder recovery: A collaborative narrative study.Subst Abuse. 2019;13:1178221819833379. doi:10.1177/1178221819833379Blanco C, Okuda M, Wang S, Liu SM, Olfson M.Testing the drug substitution switching-addictions hypothesis. A prospective study in a nationally representative sample.JAMA Psychiatry. 2014;71(11):1246-53. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.1206Han B, Compton WM, Blanco C, Colpe LJ.Prevalence, treatment, and unmet treatment needs of US adults with mental health and substance use disorders.Health Aff (Millwood). 2017 Oct 1;36(10):1739-1747. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2017.0584
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Society of Addiction Medicine.Definition of addiction.National Institutes of Health.Drugs, brains, and behavior: The science of addiction.Lassiter PS, Culbreth JR.Theory and Practice of Addiction Counseling.SAGE Publications.Hawk M, Coulter RWS, Egan JE, et al.Harm reduction principles for healthcare settings.Harm Reduct J. 2017;14(1):70. doi:10.1186/s12954-017-0196-4Lassiter PS, Culbreth JR.Theory and Practice of Addiction Counseling.SAGE Publications.Strickland JC, Smith MA.The effects of social contact on drug use: Behavioral mechanisms controlling drug intake.Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2014;22(1):23-34. doi:10.1037/a0034669Polcin DL, Korcha R.Social support influences on substance abuse outcomes among sober living house residents with low and moderate psychiatric severity.J Alcohol Drug Educ. 2017;61(1):51-70.Hofmann SG, Asnaani A, Vonk IJ, Sawyer AT, Fang A.The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses.Cognit Ther Res. 2012;36(5):427-440. doi:10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1National Institute on Drug Abuse.Can addiction be treated successfully?.Drugs, Brains, Behavior: The Science of Addiction.Diaper AM, Law FD, Melichar JK.Pharmacological strategies for detoxification.Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2014;77(2):302-314. doi:10.1111/bcp.12245Tiffany ST, Wray JM.The clinical significance of drug craving.Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2012;1248:1-17. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06298.xPettersen H, Landheim A, Skeie I, et al.How social relationships influence substance use disorder recovery: A collaborative narrative study.Subst Abuse. 2019;13:1178221819833379. doi:10.1177/1178221819833379Blanco C, Okuda M, Wang S, Liu SM, Olfson M.Testing the drug substitution switching-addictions hypothesis. A prospective study in a nationally representative sample.JAMA Psychiatry. 2014;71(11):1246-53. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.1206Han B, Compton WM, Blanco C, Colpe LJ.Prevalence, treatment, and unmet treatment needs of US adults with mental health and substance use disorders.Health Aff (Millwood). 2017 Oct 1;36(10):1739-1747. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2017.0584
American Society of Addiction Medicine.Definition of addiction.
National Institutes of Health.Drugs, brains, and behavior: The science of addiction.
Lassiter PS, Culbreth JR.Theory and Practice of Addiction Counseling.SAGE Publications.
Hawk M, Coulter RWS, Egan JE, et al.Harm reduction principles for healthcare settings.Harm Reduct J. 2017;14(1):70. doi:10.1186/s12954-017-0196-4
Strickland JC, Smith MA.The effects of social contact on drug use: Behavioral mechanisms controlling drug intake.Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2014;22(1):23-34. doi:10.1037/a0034669
Polcin DL, Korcha R.Social support influences on substance abuse outcomes among sober living house residents with low and moderate psychiatric severity.J Alcohol Drug Educ. 2017;61(1):51-70.
Hofmann SG, Asnaani A, Vonk IJ, Sawyer AT, Fang A.The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses.Cognit Ther Res. 2012;36(5):427-440. doi:10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1
National Institute on Drug Abuse.Can addiction be treated successfully?.Drugs, Brains, Behavior: The Science of Addiction.
Diaper AM, Law FD, Melichar JK.Pharmacological strategies for detoxification.Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2014;77(2):302-314. doi:10.1111/bcp.12245
Tiffany ST, Wray JM.The clinical significance of drug craving.Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2012;1248:1-17. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06298.x
Pettersen H, Landheim A, Skeie I, et al.How social relationships influence substance use disorder recovery: A collaborative narrative study.Subst Abuse. 2019;13:1178221819833379. doi:10.1177/1178221819833379
Blanco C, Okuda M, Wang S, Liu SM, Olfson M.Testing the drug substitution switching-addictions hypothesis. A prospective study in a nationally representative sample.JAMA Psychiatry. 2014;71(11):1246-53. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.1206
Han B, Compton WM, Blanco C, Colpe LJ.Prevalence, treatment, and unmet treatment needs of US adults with mental health and substance use disorders.Health Aff (Millwood). 2017 Oct 1;36(10):1739-1747. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2017.0584
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