Meth addiction is one of the hardest addictions to kick. However, people do it every day, and you can learn a lot from their habits and strategies for recovery. If you’re ready to live a clean, sober life, here are just nine tips and tricks for overcoming your meth addiction.
1. Throw Out Your Stash
This is easier said than done,of course, but it’s one of the first steps that you’ll need to take to beat your addiction. Not only will it get the meth out of your immediate reach, but it will also be an important and symbolic gesture for your recovery. The drugs don’t control you anymore. You don’t need them in your home. You can live without them.
2. Consider Rehab
Some people can kick the habit without rehab. Others will need all of the help that they can get. If you’re in the latter category, there’s no shame in admitting it and checking yourself into a recovery facility. A good meth addiction rehab center can help you with everything from detoxes to cravings, and they can turn your vague wishes for sobriety into concrete plans for the future.
3. Understand Your Triggers
Speaking of cravings, it’s rare to be hit with them out of the blue. There’s usually some kind of trigger that makes you think about drugs. It might be something obvious like driving by your dealer’s old haunt; it might be something subtle like the color of the room where you first got high. No matter what sets you off, it’s important that you learn to recognize and control your response to it. Otherwise, you’ll be a slave to your cravings whenever they strike.
4. Start a Journal
It isn’t always easy to gauge your own progress when you’re stumbling down the deep, dark tunnel of addiction. The good news is that a journal can help. In addition to giving you an outlet for your stress, it can also serve as a tangible reminder of how far that you’ve come. Every page will be one more day that you’ve remained sober.
5. Talk About It
With meth addiction on the rise, more and more people are starting to realize that drug addiction isn’t something that only happens in the movies. It’s areal struggle that their friends and family are facing. Don’t be afraid to open up about your addiction with your loved ones. They can help.
6. Develop Everyday Coping Strategies
Some people like to take a cold shower whenever they feel that itch under their skin. Others will seek out a healthy, natural high in the form of exercise. Others still might suck on a nice cube or snap a rubber band against their wrist. At the end of the day, the specifics of your coping mechanisms are much less important than the fact that you have them in the first place.
7. Look Up the Side Effects of Meth
You might not have known or cared about the side effects of drug addiction while you were still in the throes of it. Once your head is a bit clearer, however, you might be able to better resist your cravings if you do some research about meth. It can be horrifying to read about the damage that you’ve done to your body, but it can also serve as a valuable wake-up call.
8. Remember Your Motivation
Why are you giving up meth? What prompted you to finally realize your problem and make a change? Hold onto that line of thinking. Whether it’s a love for your kids or the promise of a promotion at work, you’ll find it much easier to resist the allure of drugs when you have a good reason for turning it down. Don’t forget it.
9. Understand That You Aren’t Alone
You might feel isolated when you’re going through a painful recovery progress. It might feel like no one really understands you. However, this isn’t true. You can reach out to any number of rehabs or support groups and find people who are going through the exact same struggle that you are, and making a connection with them can improve your resistance to drugs.
These are just a few things to keep in mind as you walk the path to addiction recovery. Meth might be a terrible drug, but remember that people escape its clutches every day, and you can be one of them. You just have to want it enough.
