10 Super Ways to Avoid Addiction and Foster a Healthy Lifestyle

Addiction is like a monster, it lives inside and feeds off of you, takes from you, controls you, and destroys you. You can call it a beast that tears you apart, rips out your soul, and laughs at your weakness.

If you are struggling with an addiction, then you should know that it is a treatable disease, not a moral failing. Beating substance abuse addiction is considered to be a difficult feat a person can overcome.

“Recovery is something that you have to work on every single day, and it’s something that doesn’t get a day off”, says Demi Lovato, an American singer, and songwriter. 

Indeed, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is of utmost importance for overall well-being and longevity. To obtai additional information for the same, you can pay for essay online. There you’ll get in-depth details for any of your queries.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through 10 healthy ways to avoid addiction and foster a healthy lifestyle. 

Families grounded in healthy, honest, and caring relationships help considerably more in preventing addiction than you may think. Even research also indicates individuals who are close to their families are less likely to become drug addicts.

When facing hard times, it’s ideal to ask family for help. The guidance and support provided by them make it easier for an individual to deal with any circumstances. The same goes with friends, even they can play the same role as your family. 

The fact is that it’s on you either to continue the addiction or to leave that behind and embrace a healthy lifestyle. In order to really change, you have to create healthy habits and coping mechanisms.

Do You Know?:
In 2023, about 60% of people who seek help for a substance use disorder (SUD) will use drugs or alcohol again within a year.

We know that withdrawal from alcohol can be a tough journey but still you can foster some easy ways to deal with it. For instance, reading, being in nature, walking, meditation, and exercising. 

Not only do these promote better health, but they also lower blood pressure, help blood flow, improve brain function, and have many health benefits.

When we think about our overall health and wellness, nutritional diet and exercise are key lifestyle factors to foster a healthy lifestyle. Starting with a few small changes can make it easier to meet bigger lifestyle goals.

In times of stress, it is commonly observed that individuals turn to food for comfort. Because processed junk food is always meant to provide temporary satisfaction. For individuals with addiction, food is often substituted out of comfort, sticking to a healthy diet that includes a balance of calories, nutrition, vitamins, protein, etc. 

Abstinence is believed to be the best way to prevent drug abuse or addiction. For some, it is easier to never touch drugs or anything of that sort, but some may take time to leave the addiction behind.

For that reason, abstinence is worth practicing.

“Meditation is not about stopping thoughts, but recognizing that we are more than our thoughts and our feelings”, says Arianna Huffington, a Greek-American author.

Praying and constant medication have been shown to have tangible health effects. On one hand, praying helps people to be nicer, more forgiving, and more trusting, according to science-backed benefits. 

On the other hand, meditation helps individuals shift their focus from an addiction to preparing for a healthy journey.

Social support does not always mean getting support from strangers. It is a network of relationships with family, friends, peers, and someone who actively contributes to an individual’s positive well-being.

Statistics:
Recovery Brands revealed with a 2017 survey that ethanol, or alcohol, is the most common drug of abuse among addiction treatment programs.

For Alcoholics Anonymous, a whole group is one big support team. They can use their guiding principles and fellowship with one another. Having trustworthy people by your side is beneficial to one’s health.

“So much time and effort is spent on wanting to change, trying to change, to be somebody different, better, or new. Why not use this time to get comfortable with yourself as you are instead?”, says Andy Puddicombe, Headspace co-founder.

Modern life is full of stress, and it’s hard to escape from daily hassles. But, if you really want to get rid of an addiction, then you must give yourself time. For that, do what makes you happy, do self-introspection, etc. 

There is numerous evidence that exercise can be a powerful tool in your recovery. Even experts believe that regular physical activity can act as a healthy stand-in for addictive substances. 

Fast Fact:
It has been seen that teens who commence alcohol consumption at the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol abuse than those who wait until the age of 21.

It is because exercise and drugs of misuse work on similar parts of your brain. And, they both often activate reward pathways, resulting in the release of feel-good chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. 

Medication intake is common nowadays, even without proper knowledge of its side effects. Marijuana is typically called the gateway drug, avoiding it is believed to be the best way to avoid addiction. 

For example, opioid pain medication can be addictive when not consumed in accordance with the prescription. For that reason, it is advised to intake only prescribed medication. 

In the end, when none of this works, the only course of action left is to get professional help. Diagnosing addiction requires a thorough evaluation. For that, it includes an assessment by a psychiatrist, a psychologist, or a licensed drug or alcohol counselor.

Other than that, you have to be ready to openly discuss your addiction journey with the counselor. This will help them to tailor the treatment accordingly.

Conclusion

Since recovery takes time, an addiction-free journey takes a while. We know it takes a lot for someone to ignore what you are addicted to. But, the moment you make up your mind, your journey to healthy lifestyles begins.

Developing close ties, working on positive coping skills, striking a healthy diet, meditation, social support, and exercising, all together can contribute to avoiding addiction. 

Worries concerning the future can block the path of healing, live for today!