How to get out of addiction? (Learning to Quit Addiction)
Hello steemit friends, hope you are always healthy. This time I will share a little of my knowledge about addiction or dependence on something. Maybe it can be useful for you or your friends who are in the process of quitting addictions or addictions that can take your future.
Addiction or dependence physically and mentally on something, addiction itself has three levels, namely mild, moderate, and severe. And if you are already at the moderate and heavy levels, you should immediately consult a professional for help
Addiction is a situation where a person is very dependent both physically and mentally on something. For example, cigarettes, pornography, alcohol, comics, shopping, and others.
Even though these things give you pleasure, you know that in the future this situation will lead you to a black bubble.
When you do something repeatedly, but you consciously feel that the behavior is still under your control, then it cannot be said to be an addiction.
Well, the story will be different when you play games, use gadgets, watch porn videos and you already find it difficult to control this behavior, you need to be vigilant because it could be that you experience addiction. But curious not, why does someone experience addiction?
Why does someone experience addiction?
To answer this question, many experts discuss it through the brain response that occurs when someone does something that makes him addicted. So, when someone does something that makes him addicted, the part of the brain that will activate is part of the reward circuitry. This section serves to regulate emotions, and plays a role in encouraging someone to behave in certain ways in order to survive. Well, this urge is influenced by the pleasure hormone or what we often know as the dopamine hormone.
Surely many of us often hear about the so-called dopamine hormone. Dopamine is a hormone that makes us feel good and even has a desire for something we like. The greater the dopamine hormone produced when doing something, the greater a person's desire for it.
Usually addiction is closely related to illegal drugs. But nowadays addiction is not only related to drugs, it can also describe behavior that is repeatedly done, such as playing games, scrolling cellphones, until what happens is also pornography addiction.
But we can't easily label the repetitive behavior we engage in as addiction. Before we discuss how to stop addiction or addiction, let's get to know what addiction actually is!
What is addiction?
Does the word addiction sound familiar to you? Maybe in everyday life we hear it more often as an dependency. Now for its own meaning, addiction or addiction is defined as a condition of physical and mental dependence on something that causes behavior change for people who experience it, so that they lose control of their own behavior.
So even though you do something repeatedly, but you consciously feel that the behavior is still under your control, it cannot be said to be an addiction.
Well, the story will be different when you play games, use gadgets, watch porn videos and you already find it difficult to control this behavior, you need to be vigilant because it could be that you experience addiction.
A sign that someone is experiencing addiction
Diclemente in his book describes the signs of someone experiencing addiction. This sign is not used to diagnose ourselves, but to increase our awareness of ourselves.
Uncontrolled behavior patterns
You find it difficult to control yourself not to do this behavior, even though you have tried to control it
There are bad effects from this behavior
This behavior makes you experience bad effects such as lack of sleep, difficulty concentrating, and uncontrollable emotions
Feeling unable to change behavior
You feel that the behavior you are experiencing is bigger than yourself. So that you are unable to control, even change the behavior that you experience
This behavior is used as a way to deal with stress
When you are feeling sad or depressed about something, the first thing you look for is this addictive behavior. You feel that this behavior is the single most effective stress coping option for yourself.
The amount of time spent performing this behavior
In a day you spend a lot of time doing this addictive behavior. Sometimes you can't remember that your time is up just doing this behavior.
Productive activities such as work
Establishing social relationships is neglected because of this behavior, you prioritize this behavior more than other productive activities. You can even ignore your responsibilities to fulfill this addictive need! Isn't it really scary?
Free yourself from addiction
Maybe by now you have realized that you are experiencing addiction, then you have also tried to quit this addiction. But indeed, to quit addiction is not easy. The process that you are going through may be a little difficult because it involves physically and mentally, but that doesn't mean you can't. Stopping this addiction is something that everyone can do, including you.
There are things you need to consider when going through this relatively difficult process, namely:
Make a decision to change
Sooner or later, most people with addictions decide to change their addictive behavior. When decisions are made, most people already have a specific goal. It may be quitting completely or simply reducing the amount of time or money spent fulfilling this addiction. You need to do this to strengthen you when you are shaky in the middle of the stopping process.
Prepare to change
After the goals you have are clear, then what you need to do is prepare to change. This preparation has to do with how you are ready to fight the desires that arise. If possible, you can eliminate the addiction triggers.
Start treatment for addiction
Furthermore, to overcome addiction, you need treatment. There are several types of treatment that you can do, and for each person the effect of this treatment is different.
You may be able to identify in advance, what treatment is suitable and comfortable to help you quit this addiction. One easy approach is mindfulness.
Mindfulness is a condition that directs our mind and body to focus on the here and now. Well, this mindfulness can be trained and helps you to be calmer in dealing with various situations. When the desire to perform this behavior arises, invite yourself to calm down for a moment, take a breath, then focus yourself on the goal that you decided earlier.
Prevent addictive behavior from reappearing
When you have managed to control your addictive behavior, it is not uncommon for the desire to do this behavior occasionally. Well, this is usually referred to as "relapse" or relapse. When the behavior recurs, it doesn't mean you have failed. This relapse that you experience is a response from your body, and also as a mental booster to control this addictive behavior.
Seek professional help or support
As mentioned earlier, quitting addictive behaviors is a difficult process to do. For some people, addiction can be overcome by itself. But for others, they need help and support from people around them or someone who is an expert such as a psychologist.
Psychologists will also help you find suitable and effective treatments for you to do. You can do counseling with a One Percent Psychologist to jointly deal with this addiction problem.
Quitting the addiction that you experience is not impossible, even though it is difficult for everyone to be empowered to stop the addiction they are experiencing. Don't hesitate to seek help when you feel you need it.
Hopefully this post is useful, and can help you grow at least 0.1% every day. Thank you!
Cc
@booming01
@booming02