Drug Addiction Recovery Information, Tips and Help

The Drug Addiction Recovery Information on this page goes hand in hand with all the information on the alcoholism recovery page where I talk to you about the fundamental rules for achieving a successful recovery. So yes, you've guessed it, before you do anything go and read that page NOW.

Because what I'll be talking to you about here follows on from everything that I said there.

Okay, now that you've done that I can add a few more addiction recovery tips that will enhance your recovery journey.

You need to understand first though that drinking and using drugs is directly tied to your emotional state. When you're feeling calm, content and relaxed ... do you think you're going to feel the need to pick up?

No - of course not! And our emotional states are created by our thoughts so if your thoughts are 'all over the show' your emotional state is going to be uptight, anxious, fearful, worried etc etc making you more inclined to want to use.

Now there will be periods where you will be worried, anxious and fearful - that's just part of being human. But you can work towards improving your mental and emotional states so that most of the time you do feel comfortable and at ease with yourself.

Remember you're always just one drink or drug away from relapse so you really have to be vigilant about building the right habits for yourself, which will allow you to not only survive in recovery - but flourish.

So here are some Drug Addiction Recovery Tips that will hopefully help you do that:

Drug Addiction Recovery Tip 1: Incorporate Meditation or Yoga into your life

I'm not going to go into a whole lesson on the benefits and how to's here. Information will be easy enough to find (I may at some point find a resource for you to use.)

Forget the spiritual benefits for a second (opportunity to achieve enlightenment, nirvana, bliss:-) - from a purely practical perspective, doing Meditation or Yoga are simply great ways of feeling better about yourself and learning how to control your mental and emotional states.

And if you can do that - you'll increasingly be able to control your impulse to want to drink or use drugs until the thought eventually becomes a 'non-event' for you because those thoughts simply hold no power over you any more.

I've done meditation for a few years now and even though I maintain the awareness of how easy and quickly it would be to go down the addiction road in my life again, its just simply something I don't even think about any more because I know even my worst possible day being clean and sober, is still a hundred times better than anything I felt and experienced as an addict.

Drug Addiction Recovery Tip 2: Remember the H.A.L.T. Principles

H = Hungry, A = Angry, L = Lonely, T = Tired. These are states you want to avoid where possible and have the awareness to do something about as soon you feel any of them coming on.

Because if you don't, they'll have you using again before you know what's hit you.

Anger is probably the hardest one to deal with and it's not as obvious what you need to do about it as with the other ones ...

The trick to dealing with anger is to forgive and let go. But how do you do that practically ...?

Say a prayer or blessing for whatever or whoever makes you feel that anger. Wish upon that person all the good things you'd want for yourself ... and you'll be amazed at how your anger dissolves. Then just repeat as needed. Trust me it does work - its the technique I use myself.

All anger does is poison you and your mind. How does that benefit you?

By consciously wishing good things upon someone you don't like - and dare I say it, even hate (because your resentment does nothing to them, it only poisons you) - you stop thinking about them less and less until in your own mind they hardly figure any more.

So the trade-off for you becomes peace of mind. You can still not like someone, but by letting go of your anger and resentment those intense feelings that could very easily see you relapse are dissolved.

Sometimes you just have to try things on faith - and test them out for yourself (even when they seem a bit weird:)

Your addiction recovery process is a journey of self discovery basically. And if you're committed to that journey, working at your growth and self-development will ensure that your life continues to evolve and improve beyond what you ever imagined possible.

Drug Addiction Recovery Tip 3: Live One Day at a Time

Doing meditation or yoga will help you live this principle, but the point here is that worrying incessantly about what may (but probably won't) happen in the future - or having massive regrets about your past, isn't going to make any difference to your life NOW.

Your life is here, now, today, in this moment. Now is the only moment you have control over. Because what you do NOW determines your future so just concentrate on making each moment of NOW the best you can, and let the future take care of itself.

A trick I use to help me with this is to do regular Power Pauses. I set a reminder on my computer (because that's where I spend most of my time) to go off every hour, where I simply stop, take some deep breaths, clear my thoughts and just relax in the moment for a minute or two. It's almost like a mini-meditation.

Again, doing this regularly will do WONDERS for your life. I guarantee it. Try it and let me know how it goes for you.

Drug Addiction Recovery Tip 3: Exercise

I'm not going to go into this at all because you know the benefits of regular exercise. I tell you what works for me though, is doing short, intensive exercise. The reason I like short and intensive is because it releases endorphins and gives you that rush - anything for a high, hey, LOL.

You might prefer more leisurely, it doesn't matter really. The point to exercise (despite all the health benefits) is that doing it makes you feel good about yourself. And when you feel good about yourself (you know the answer) ... you're less likely to pick up.

Drug Addiction Recovery Tip 4: Diet

I don't mean diet as in you need to lose weight, I mean eat a healthy, well-balanced diet because what you eat effects how you feel - and if you're feeling good about yourself, you're not really going to want to take drugs or drink are you?

A lot of addicts have issues with food so make sure as part of your addiction recovery process you work at resolving any food issues you may have and learn to eat a healthy, balanced diet.

I've become a vegetarian since my addict days - no I'm not saying you have to do that - and it has made a tremendous difference in how I feel. My strategy now when it comes to diet is to eat healthy during the week (lots of salad and fruit) and then pig out on the weekend.

Bottom line is you have to find a strategy that works for you. Take the time to do that because what you put into your drug addiction recovery process, the more you'll get out.

Drug Addiction Recovery Tip 5: Commit to a Life of Self Improvement

If you want your drug addiction recovery and alcohol addiction recovery process to be a real success, rather than just a constant struggle, commit to a life of self improvement.

There is so much knowledge out there - books that can help you, people that you can learn from and be inspired by - that if you commit to a journey of self discovery and growth, eventually going back to drugs or alcohol will be the last thing on your mind.

You'll realise that there is so much out there to learn, see and do ... that you wouldn't want to waste your life getting drunk or high all the time

At the end of the day though, it's your responsibility for doing what you need to do. I can only provide you with the information - what you do with it will determine your results.

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So don't forget to read the alcoholism recovery page for more recovery ideas and tips. How to stop drinking and taking drugs will help you develop the right mindset in your alcohol and drug addiction recovery journey.

And to discover more about the best resources I have ever come across to help you successfully recover from an addiction - check out the Addiction Recovery Toolbox

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Illegal substance abuse typically damages one's health and can prove fatal if left unchecked. A drug addiction treatment center that aids in recovery is often the answer for advanced cases of drug abuse.

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