Addictions are often misunderstood by the public, as are replacing your addictions.
Many people foolishly believe that addictions can simply be “broken” out of by just willing yourself, but anyone that’s ever faced a serious condition like this knows about the inner struggle that everyone faces.
Addictions aren’t just a matter of willpower; some can cause chemical changes within our body that fundamentally alter what our body craves.
This is why going cold turkey is so dangerous!
If someone has an addiction to drugs and suddenly decides to stop taking them, then their entire body can begin to slowly shut down. Depending on how frequently they used the drug, it might even cause serious long-term damage to their body.
There are a number of strategies that professionals use to help people with addictive personalities. One such example is to “replace” your addiction with something else.
While this might sound a little questionable, I am going to try and explain what this really means and why it’s such a powerful way to beat an addiction.
Replacing addiction with something healthier gradually gets you off it
People often think that replacing addiction just means that you’re going to be addicted to something else.
For instance, some people believe that if they quit smoking by replacing it with vaping, they’re just going to end up getting addicted to vaping.
This isn’t necessarily true. The health benefits of vaping versus smoking are constantly being debated, but there’s no doubt that getting off smoking can help you gradually shift away from that addiction.
Addictions get worse over time because your body becomes more dependent on them. By removing your dependency on something, you are tipping the scale and moving away from them.
Breaking off this reliance helps to clear your mind, improves your overall health, and gives you more clarity.
It also helps you build goals which are an essential component of breaking any addiction. Setting goals can help you feel a sense of satisfaction.
Whether it’s something simple like replacing one can of beer each week with tea, or maybe even smoking just one less cigarette a day and replacing it with 10 minutes of working out, these small goals can make a massive difference.
Don’t embark on this journey alone
While there are certainly many people that have successfully broken out of addiction by themselves, you need to realise that doing it alone has a much lower chance of success.
By surrounding yourself with supportive people, you have a much higher chance of breaking out of addiction.
Whether you want to stop drinking alcohol or get off an addictive drug, seeking help means that you’re admitting that you have a problem, but it’s also the first step on a new journey of acceptance and surrounding yourself with support.
At the end of the day, there is no silver bullet to help you beat addiction.
Replacing addiction with something else could be asking for trouble, but it’s also something that has helped many other people recover from their previous afflictions.
Whatever you decide to do, it’s always best to seek professional advice when available.
This ensures that you get the best help possible and drastically increases the chances that you’ll be able to beat the addiction.
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