Seek professional help.

Getting professional help is an excellent start, and for serious addictions. It may be the only way to start recovering.

• Many insurance companies will now pay for addiction treatment. In addition, some doctors and clinics offer their rates on a sliding scale so your payments are based on your income. Don’t let a lack of funds prevent you from getting the treatment you need!
• Medications are available that can help with certain addictions, but in order to use them, you’ll need to have a doctor prescribe them and oversee your treatment as you progress.
• Even if you’re not using medications, having a professional guide you through a treatment and therapy plan can ensure your success.

Detox, rehab and recovery centers.

7, 30 and 60 day programs, while a great start, only offer a 10-20% chance of overcoming an addiction.

Why?

What happens on day 8, or day 31 or day 61?

An addict, without consistent long-term support after exiting a treatment center, will eventually find themselves addicted once again. Life's pressures, situations and triggers will prompt the return of the addiction.

These centers should be considered as a start to a lengthy treatment program and recovery.

Support groups like AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) or NA (Narcotics Anonymous) offer addicts daily comfort and support LONG TERM.

Request help and support.

Support from friends, family members, neighbors, clergy, coworkers, social groups, or any other type of support system is crucial to your recovery. Without this type of support, you are highly likely to witness the rapid return of your addiction. Long term help and support is vital.

• There are likely many support groups – both online and in-person – that focus on your particular addiction. As I mentioned above, seek out this type of support group. You’ll find specialists in overcoming your specific addiction, as well as those who’ve experienced your pain.
  
  
• Don’t forget to support yourself! Give yourself rewards at different milestones of your recovery.

You need all the support your friends and family can offer.

• They can keep you accountable for your actions.
• They can guide you to any help you need.
• They can provide emotional support to bolster your resolve.

If you find that your family and friends aren’t giving you the support you need, either distance yourself from the negative attitudes, or explain what you need from them in order for you to succeed.

Be patient and persevere.

Patience and perseverance will help carry you through the long journey to recovery. It takes time to overcome an addiction, but it can be done.

• Take things one day at a time and fully believe that things will get better.
  
  
• Keep your end goal in mind and persist in your efforts to get there.
  
  
• If you can’t take it one day at a time, then begin with one hour at a time. Hours will become days, days will become weeks, and before you know it, you've accomplished A LOT.

Don’t quit when you make a mistake.

You may stumble from time to time, but this doesn’t mean you should throw up your hands and quit. Remember it’s a step in the process, and if you fall, you need to get up and keep on going.

Never give up!

Commit yourself to change.

First of all, if you’re tired of living the erratic life of an addict, make a commitment to yourself to change your life. Yes, it’s a difficult road, but you are worth the effort! You deserve to have a better life.

• Look at all the benefits of beating the addiction to see clearly how much better your life will be without it. Write these benefits down on paper.
  
  
• Choose the better life! Commit to making this positive change. Make a solemn contract with yourself to do everything in your power to overcome your addiction.
  
  
• Designate your life as your top priority.

Have faith.

In order to overcome addiction, the first thing you need is faith. Faith has been described as the “hope of things unseen.” This means you should have hope for tomorrow, recovery, and success.

• Hope can bring you through challenging times and allow you to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
• Believe in a greater power. Having faith can also mean believing in something bigger than you, like God. If you have nothing to believe in, it may prove quite difficult to win the war against your addiction.
• It’s never too late to reconnect with your faith.

Develop a courageous attitude.

Courage will help you face your addiction and then battle it through, regardless of what that addiction is. Your sense of courage is stronger than you probably know! Look deep within yourself to find it and bring it out.

Draw on your inner strength.

Like courage, we all have an inner strength that makes us stronger than we realize. When you draw on your inner strength you have greater power to face challenges and overcome them.