Be Your Own Hero & Overcome Your Addiction

As an addict (of sex, alcohol, drugs, or really anything), you’ve probably told yourself into thinking that you are your own problem – but a key to recovery is realizing that you are your own solution. Sometimes you have to be your own warrior; picking yourself up, carrying on and continuing to fight without ever backing down.  If you’re struggling with drug addiction, it can seem like sobriety is way out of your reach – maybe even impossible. We’re here to be that support you need, and to remind you that no matter how hopeless your situation seems, recovery is never out of your reach. With the right addiction treatment and support system, addressing the roots and causes of your addiction, sobriety is possible. It’s not time for you to give up yet, no matter how many times you’ve attempted and fizzled out. Your road to recovering from your addiction grows from your bumps, pitfalls and setbacks in the form of valuable lessons that you’ll be able to use to pull you back into the clear. You’re already becoming your own hero by examining your addiction problem and thinking about how to change it for the better. The next step is to contact Capital Choice Counselling to begin your Ottawa addiction counselling to ensure you become your own hero.

The First Step To Addiction Recovery Is Deciding To Make A Change 

Like many people – maybe even someone you know – who are struggling with their own addictions, the initial step towards recovering is also the most difficult. The first step to addiction recovery is deciding it’s time to make a change. Feeling conflicted about that? You’re not alone. It’s normal to feel to weak to give up your vice, even if you have pinpointed it as something that causes the most trouble to your happiness, or the most problem causing to your life in general. No, change isn’t easy, and you have a lot of shifting commitments to consider when you make this decision, including changing:

Wondering if you’re actually prepared for it all? Addiction counselling can help you be the hero you need to feel like you’ve got what it takes to quit, even if right now, you’re torn about it all. It’s going to be a long, steady process that requires a lot of your time, motivation and most importantly support. If addiction counselling is something you’re not sure about yet, and you’re sitting there running through all of this in your head, we’d like to share a few tips that can help you be the hero you need to make this difficult decision.

You’re Thinking About Changing Your Addiction Habits

• This may sound a bit counterintuitive, but, keep track of your substance abuse; write down when and how much you’re using.  This way, you’ll have a more accurate sense of the role this addiction plays in your life.
• Make a list of pros and cons that come with quitting (or maybe one for addiction counselling). What are the costs and benefits to continuing using? Be honest with yourself, even though it’s easy to sugar-coat.
• Think about all the things that are important to you. Maybe you have a partner, or kids, or your career, and your health. How does your abuse affect your relationships with the things that are important to you?
• Go through these notes with someone you trust (hint hint, you can trust an addiction counsellor!). How do they feel about your drug use?
• Being your own hero includes asking yourself if there is anything in the way of preventing you from a positive change. Is there anything that could help you make that change?

5 Key Points To Preparing Yourself To Recover From Addiction

1. Don’t forget to remind yourself of all the reasons you want to change your ways.

2. Think back to the times you’ve tried quitting, if there are any. What didn’t work? What did? Keep note of your past experience and use that as stepping stones.

3. Create and set specific, measurable goals, like a quitting date or setting limits on your use until you get to your quitting date.

4. Remove reminders of your addiction from your home and workplace.

5. Tell friends and family that you’re quitting and ask for their support.

Addiction Counselling & How It Can Help You

Once you’ve decided that challenging your addiction is something you want to do, it’s time to think about addiction counselling . There are many resources available for treatment, and it’s important to remember that your choices should keep the following in mind:

• Unfortunately, there isn’t a magic button or stand alone treatment that works for every case or everyone. When you’re thinking about addiction counselling programs, remember that everyone needs something unique to them. Addiction counselling should be customized to your unique problems, and your own situation. It’s important, and possible to find a program and an addiction counsellor that feels right.
• There are more things to address in your treatment than your addiction habits. Addiction affects your entire life. It affects many of your relationships, your career, your overall health, and likely your psychological well-being. The success of your addiction counselling (or any treatment, really) depends on building a new way of living and confronting the reasons as to why you became addicted to your vice in the beginning. Maybe you couldn’t handle stress properly, so addiction counselling can help you find healthy ways to handle those stressful situations.
• Following through with your commitments is key. Addiction counselling isn’t going to be a quick and easy process. Generally, the longer and more intense your habits have gone on, the longer and more intense the addiction counselling is necessary. That being said, no matter the duration of your counselling, the long term follow up care is extremely crucial to your recovery.
• You’re far from alone.  Not everyone needs medically supervised detox or long term rehab stints. Your level of care depends on a few things: age, history of your addiction abuse, and also other medical and psychiatric conditions you’ve had (or have). Along with the doctors and psychologists, social workers and counsellors offer amazing addiction treatment services to help you.

When you’re looking for addiction counselling and other forms of help towards your addiction, it’s important to get the proper treatment for other medical and psychological issues you’re having a hard time with. Being your own hero means giving yourself a fair chance at change, which is integrated treatment for both your addiction habits (abuse) as well as your mental health.

Reaching Out For Support

The worst thing you can do to fix your addiction problems is by trying to do it by yourself. Don’t try to do this alone! No matter how great your addiction counselling may be, or which treatment approach you decide on, it’s important that you build a solid support system – or tap into the one that’s already there to help you. The more positive influences you keep close in your life, the better your chances are to change your ways and recover from your addiction. Changing and recovering isn’t easy, but with the right people you can turn to them for encouragement, advice, guidance and a listening ear to make things easier for your new life.

• Lean On Your Loved Ones –  Having It’s important that you realize the impact of the support that comes from your friends and family members. The support from your loved ones is an invaluable asset in recovering. Don’t be hesitant to seek help from your loved ones because you’ve let them down previously – counselling can help with that too.
• Make Yourself A Sober Social Network – Even if your previous social life was revolved around your addiction – it’s normal for that to happen – you’ll need to build some new connections. It’s important that you have sober friends who encourage you to recover, and give you all the support you need to change your ways. Find a new class, or volunteer, or attend community events to get started.
• Think About Living In A Sober Home – Sober Have you heard of these? Living in a safe, supportive sober home where you can recover from your addiction can help your success. They’re a great option for those who don’t have a stable living environment to call home, without the temptation nearby.
• Give Your Meetings Priority.  Join a recovery support group  and commit to attending meetings regularly. By spending more time with the people who truly understand every second of what your’e going through can be an invaluable part to your healing process. You can really benefit from sharing, listening to, and learning from those shared experiences and group members can help you learn from the lessons of others who have also been their own sober heroes.

Need Advice? We Can Help.