Making the choice to confront your alcohol or drug addiction is a monumental step in the right direction. In fact, it could prove to be one of the single most catalytic decisions you make in your entire life. But, as is the case with most of the challenges life throws your way, the first few steps are the hardest to take.
6 Healthy and Effective Tips
When it comes to confronting your addiction, you must begin with a detox. And depending on your level of addiction, which substances you’ve been using, and how long you’ve been using, this can be an incredibly challenging step in the process. Doing it in a healthy and sustainable manner requires discipline and attention to detail.
Here are a few tips you may find useful:
Consider Medical Detox
Everyone has their own strategy on how to detox for best results. Some people do it on their own, while others get their friends and family members involved. But if you’re really struggling with addiction, you may need the help of a professional team. More specifically, you may need medical detox.
According to Drug Treatment Finders, which helps facilitate and oversee medical detox for its patients, it’s very dangerous to detox on your own. Withdrawal side effects, while shifting on a case by case basis, can include symptoms like: shaking and seizures, sleeping disorders, sickness, shaking, heart failure, exceptional longings, stomach torments, and chronic weariness. A medical detox helps reduce withdrawal side effects and keep patients safe.
Stay Hydrated
One of the most important aspects of a detox is the flushing of toxins from the body. In order to ensure more efficient and effective flushing, it’s recommended that you drink between 9 and 12 glasses of water per day. This assists your kidneys and liver and eases some of the discomfort associated with withdrawals.
Consume a Balanced Diet
Your diet during detox is more important than you’ll ever know. In order to ensure a smooth transition away from substance abuse, you need to consume a balanced diet that contains an adequate amount of vitamins and nutrients.
Protein is paramount to your recovery. Not only does it assist the body in repairing tissues and cells, but it also has restorative effects in your vital organs. You’ll also want to consume plenty of fiber, healthy fats, and whole grains, while staying away from saturated fats, processed foods, and anything that causes excess inflammation in the body.
Try Alternative Medicine
In addition to removing problematic substances and consuming a healthy diet, you may find it helpful to incorporate alternative medicine into your detox. This includes practices like massage therapy, yoga, acupuncture, chiropractic treatments, meditation, and breathing exercises.
Pick Up a Hobby
You need to be purposeful with how you spend your time during detox. Being idle and sluggish will greatly reduce your chances of being successful.
If you don’t already have a hobby, now is a great time to pick one up. And since you need to be eating healthy in the first place, you may find cooking to be a good fit. In particular, you might like making sushi.
“Unlike most forms of food preparation that you can do on automatic, making sushi requires actually focusing on what you’re doing and tremendous concentration,” Justin Vict writes for Lifehack. “This demand for constant focus on the present is what makes the art of making sushi a mindfulness practice.”
Surround Yourself With Supportive People
Finally, be sure you’re surrounding yourself with people who believe in you and what you’re doing.
A strong support group will ensure you stay on track, even when you feel like throwing the towel in. It helps to have a healthy mix of family, friends, recovering addicts, and former addicts in your circle. This will help you feel understood in the midst of what can be a very challenging and tumultuous period.
Put Your Health First
Making the decision to detox is good, but it’s not something you should do without some forethought. To do it right, you have to think about your physical health and emotional well-being. It’s highly encouraged that you consult with a trained medical professional before proceeding.
