Thursday, December 9, 2010

Major Addiction Recovery Roadblocks

The difficulty of overcoming alcohol and substance addiction is already a given. All the whines and bellyaching will not get you far, in fact they will get you nowhere. The best step to take is to become aware of the major roadblocks standing in between you and your addiction recovery. Seeing the obstacles that lay ahead allows you to take appropriate actions and increase your chances of success.

Denial. The substance dependent mind fix up a blanket of static preventing alcoholics and addicts to see the effects of their addiction to themselves, the people around them and their job. They are convinced that they are in control over their consumption and use of alcohol and substances, and that there is no problem. However, their marital, occupational, social and financial problems due to their drug use greatly says otherwise.

Most of them wait until they hit rock bottom to admit that they are neck deep in addiction. That is to say, they've already lost their loved ones, friends, and jobs. For addicts, eye-openers are difficult to spot, even though they are submerged in them. The CAGE questionnaire  is an effective assessment to know whether or not addiction has prevailed over you.

photo: google.com
Doubts frequent the mind, especially when the task at hand is great. 

Doubts. Harboring the feelings of defeat only leads imminent downfall. Doubts frequent the mind, especially when the task at hand is great. However, the choice of entertaining them and letting them ruin your efforts is your choice. You can always opt to focus on what needs to be done rather than thinking of whether or not you can do it.

Rationalizations. The mind is a master of goading recovering addicts to have another hit whenever it gets the chance. How often do you rationalize your actions even though you know it's not beneficial to yourself and your goals? One way to fight off rationalizations is to make a plan and stick to it, that way the likelihood of derailment is slim.

Not reaching out. This is not in particular to getting professional help, there are a lot of people and groups that can aid one to achieve addiction recovery. It has been found that people undergoing addiction treatment with a support structure has higher likelihood to attain success than none. Ask support from your family members, friends, colleagues, and counselors. There are many groups, systems, and programs that can assist you if you just reach out. 

Finding your way through the static lessens the difficulties involved in addiction recovery. Becoming aware of the different obstacles that lay ahead may require some time and practice but the outcome will be favorable.