Ways of Overcoming That "Itch" to Use Drugs and Drink Alcohol
David L. here ( Recovering Alcoholic/Addict)
Let's face it fellow Drug and Alcohol users whether in Recovery or still Using! Let me start out with the one's out there who are STILL using drugs or alcohol.
( For some reason, I feel like I always have to include both the terms "Drugs Users and Alcoholics" because there are still people out there today, that use to use drugs think it's ok to drink here and there!)
If you really would like to recover 100% from Drugs and Alcohol, you must not do either one! You'll just be substituting one for another!. (never a good idea, in my opinion!)
I had a friend a few years ago who lived with me and 11 others in what is called an "Oxford House".. (For those who do not know what this is, it is a place to stay with people in Recovery, with rules of course, like urine tests each week, job duties etc..)
Anyway, he was a Heroin Addict and over about 8 to 9 months living in the house, he decided it was time for him to go elsewhere and that he was ready to start all over again, from the bottom up to become a Non-drug user.
It was hard not to believe him because he went to the weekly A.A.and N.A Meetings, required to go to 4 a Week, that was one of the serious Oxford House's Rules you can't break. That is how disciplined the house rules were.
Ok, so he abided by all the rules while living in the house, contributed many times during the meetings both giving the meetings and speaking and talking and always giving positive comments!
He followed every rule in the Oxford House, be in no latter than 11pm. (Unless work Interfered with this), he did his weekly chores assigned during house group meetings which we had one to two times a week.
So, when he left, we all thought he would not only stay away from heroin, stay clean and sober, but find a brand new life with a complete positive attitude.
Well, unfortunately , he did not! It is sad to say that a couple of months later, the house received a call saying that they found him dead and overdosed from Heroin under a bridge somewhere in Philadelphia.
We all at the house, of course, were very sad about this because we loved this guy and truly believed it would work out for him once he left.
Soon after, we called the family from the house to give our condolences and discovered that he was doing well for some time, he decided to drink with some old buddies, (and here is the key to all of this)
It eventually led him back to using Heroin which eventually killed him!
You, see folks, this is a perfect example of why you must stay 100% clean and sober if you want to survive Recovery. Unfortunately, some people in recovery disagree with me about this subject, and unfortunately, that is the way their addictive personalities come out.
People with addictions offten find that it is no big deal to drink, and that a couple of beers or shots will be fine because they think they are not sniffing pills, or shooting up Heroin.
I know this from exinking too clearly anymore. So, I started using drugs and drinking at the same time! A very, very horrible mix!
Ok, lets get down to what the article title says "Some possible ways to overcome that urge or nasty itch that will come your way" whether your new in recovery or have been in Treatment or still using today, now.
What is the most beneficial defense mechanism to avoid these urges to use?
Preventing relapse by managing urges to use is very possible. ?
When you're early in recovery and you're furious or baffled, it may seem like there's no shake off to the what is called "the itch to use"... or that they'll never disappear completely. ?
You may feel like you're fighting a losing battle, and that the urge to use your drug of choice will always be present.
Do not ever give up especially if you really want to quit! You have to want to quit in order for any of this advice will work for and with you during your Recovery!
Here is how the process of overcoming those so called "Itches" worked for me. ? I'm sure it can work for anyone else as well, if they're relentless sufficiency on carrying out these ideas:
1) Get detoxed in a safe environment.
I started with this and I do not really see how it could have worked any other way, for me at least. ? I was heavily addicted to alcohol and certain kinds of drugs at the time and if I tried to go a day without drinking then I wouldn't even be able to sleep. ? Period. ?
So my body needed the alcohol physically. !
If you are anywhere near this point then I strongly suggest that you seek out a medical detox. ?
Other drugs are similar stories. ? If you're physically addicted to a chemical then seek medical help for the detox process. ? If you don't, then you're just making it harder on yourself, and maybe a lot more life-threatening, too.
2) Seek professional help AFTER detox.
It is not enough, in my belief, to just get physically detoxed from drugs or alcohol. ?
You require help beyond that. ? For the majority of most people this will be in the form of either short term rehab, twelve step meetings, or possibly out patient therapy or counseling. ?
Any of these options might or may not help you, but avoiding all of them is probably a mistake. ?
Evaluate your success in early Recovery established by results only. ?
If you use drugs or alcohol, then your approach flunked, and you should try something different (and more intense) then following time.
3) look for long full term Treatment or ongoing care of some class.
I was never willing to do this much until I got very despairing to stay clean and sober. ? For me, long term Rehab was necessary and 100% called for to overcome the urges that would have caused me to relapse!
I remember crumbling and ramming down my fists into my bed in long term rehab, ragged by both fears and tears, and believing that I'd never be happy in my life without drugs and alcohol. ?
If I hadn't been in treatment during those urges, I'd have, for certain, relapsed. ? Long term treatment enabled me to get past my strongest urges to use.
4) formulate a holistic advance to your recovery as you move on in your sobriety.
This is vital in the long run! Self-complacency kills! (always remember this) If you get lazy in your long term travel, you'll, sooner or later, pick back up and use again. ? In order to overcome this possibility, you need a proactive approach to taking positive action in your life!
A holistic approach means that you try to grow in many different areas of your lifetime.
For instance, have you ever considered fitness. ?
You get into shape. ? You exercise more often than you once did both making your body much stronger and healthier but also speeding up the process of detoxifying your body from all of those toxins that stay inside your body for some time!
You quit smoking! hopefully and eventually which is another Addiction itself.
You may attempt to look for spiritual growth. ? Maybe you go back to church some day. ? Maybe not. ? Maybe you start meditating. ? Whatever. ?
The point is that you keep pushing yourself to learn and to grow in new areas. ? If you stay stuck in early recovery maneuvers then you limit your ability to grow in long term Recovery.
Overcoming urges to use comes naturally to someone who continuously pushes himself to grow in recovery. Again all of you interested in starting Recovery or who are in Recovery Treatment of some kind, It is always up to you and no one else who decides you next move.
Just Do It !
Just Do it Today, not tomorrow and start to really enjoy the feeling and real happiness of what it feels like to not be dependant on any kind of drug!
I guarantee after some time, ( it is different for everyone) but you will start to see who is in control of both you mind and body, and you will eventually realize that it is YOU and not the drugs who dictate how you are going to face or feel the next day.
And to end this article, please, take Recovery one day at a time!
Do not rush your Recovery and Treatment!..
Just wake up clean and sober, get to a meeting, and love yourself for doing what you have longed to do for a long time!
Thank You For Reading This Article and I really Hope It Helped You Out Somehow!
David L. (Recovering Alcoholic/Addict)
