I want to quit drugs: how do I do it?

Some tips and key ideas to quit drugs through the adoption of new habits.

Addictions are among the most common health problems, and unfortunately, they are also very harmful both for the person who develops them and for his or her environment. Moreover, breaking the cycle of dependence and substance use is not easy.

That is why, day by day, there are many people who ask themselves the following question: "I know I want to quit drugs, but... how can I do it without ending up relapsing?". Here we will see several tips to achieve it.

Quitting drugs and overcoming addiction: 6 key ideas to achieve it.

Each case is unique, but in general, it is useful to have some basic guidelines about what to do if you want to overcome a drug addiction. Here's a summary about what to do.

1. Start treatment by a professional

If you want to leave drug addiction behind while minimizing your chances of relapse, you will need to go through a treatment offered by health professionals; and if what you are "hooked" on is an illegal hard drug or alcohol, you should go as soon as possible assuming that this is the only way out.

Ideally, you should have both medical coverage and psychotherapeutic assistance.Don't forget that addictions are not simply chemical processes, but that a large part of their existence is due to the fact that when we go through them we internalize patterns of behavior that favor their persistence and that we reproduce without realizing it: always passing by a bar area on the way home from work, talking especially with other addicted people, etc. Psychotherapy will allow you both to identify these problematic behaviors and mental processes and to manage them and replace these elements with other ways of living day by day that take us away from the drug: it is like a training process.

On the other hand, keep in mind that the criterion of the professionals supervising your case is always the one that prevails and the one you should follow over this advice, since they will offer you customized solutions knowing your case and its particularities.

2. Commit to a deadline for quitting consumption

Some people need to give themselves some time before taking the step to stop using for good. However, it is necessary to set a short or medium-term deadline (within a few days) so that "quitting for another day" does not become an excuse.

It is advisable to to have a regular reminder of that deadline in sight, to take advantage of that time barrier and use it as a self-motivation tool.Use this temporary barrier as a tool for self-motivation.

3. Don't put emphasis on repressing, but on redirecting your interests and attention.

The risk of relapse is greater if we perceive the process of leaving the addiction behind as a form of sacrifice.. This type of mental scheme feeds the idea that only the "virtuous" can overcome this health problem, which generates a self-fulfilling prophecy that plays against us: the discomfort itself is experienced as a sign of that sacrifice, and at the same time as a sign that we are not "strong" enough to fulfill this mission.

Therefore, instead of focusing on repressing the desire to consume, take on the philosophy of overcoming addiction by finding new sources of gratification, new stimulating experiences capable of capturing your attention and allowing you to focus on them without harming your health.

4. Take steps to prevent all forms of addiction.

People who have developed an addiction are very vulnerable to the risk of developing other addictions.. For example, among frequent cocaine users there is also a greater risk of developing alcoholism, and vice versa. These pathologies are mutually reinforcing.

5. Get used to recognizing the thoughts that induce you to consume.

If you can learn to quickly identify these thoughts, feelings and mental images that tempt you, you will be able to neutralize them without any problems, you will be able to neutralize them without letting them serve as an excuse to relapse..

6. Adapt to the rhythms of the process of overcoming addiction.

Each phase of the process of overcoming an addiction works with different "rhythms". At the beginning it is necessary to get psyched up and take the step of cutting consumption, an "all or nothing" action; then you have to know how to manage the withdrawal syndrome and detoxify at a time of particular physical discomfort, and finally you have to avoid relapses by learning to quickly recognize the thoughts and actions that self-sabotage us and expose us to the risk of consuming again, adopting new habits and new patterns of behavior from which to relate to the environment and to others.

Are you looking for psychological support for addictions?

If you are being affected by an addictive type of problem, I invite you to contact me. I am a psychologist specialized in the cognitive-behavioral model and I offer my services to individuals and companies either in person (in my office in Madrid) or through online sessions.

Bibliographical references:

• American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
• Kalivas, P.W.; Volkow, N.D. (2005). The neural basis of addiction: a pathology of motivation and choice. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 162(8): pp. 1403 - 1413.
• Sànchez Turet, Miquel (1991). Drug dependence: terminological and taxonomic aspects. Anuario de Psicología, Universitat de Barcelona, 49: pp. 5 - 18.
• Santos, J.L. ; García, L.I. ; Calderón, M.A. ; Sanz, L.J. ; de los Ríos, P. ; Izquierdo, S. ; Román, P. ; Hernangómez, L. ; Navas, E. ; Ladrón, A and Álvarez-Cienfuegos, L. (2012). Psicología Clínica. Manual CEDE de Preparación PIR, 02. CEDE. Madrid.