By far my most popular post is the gallery, “12 Depression Busters.” But those suggestions were actually a response to Beyond Blue reader Peg’s query on how to stop smoking. They absolutely do help a person fight depression and the ongoing war against negative thoughts; however they were designed as techniques to use when getting pulled into addictive behaviors.
The last month or so I have used every single one of these. And I’m happy to report that I actually feel a lot freer from insidious, destructive behavior than I did several weeks ago. Here they are: 12 Addiction Zappers. They work!
1. Get Some Buddies
It works for Girl Scouts, depressives, and addicts of all kinds. I remember having to wake up my buddy to go pee in the middle of the night at Girl Scout camp. That was right before she rolled off her cot, out of the tent and down the hill, almost into the creek.
Our job as buddies is to help each other not roll out of the tent and into the stream, and to keep each other safe during midnight bathroom runs. My buddies are the six numbers programmed into my cell phone, the voices that remind me sometimes as many as five times a day: “It will get better.”
Before posting, please read our blog moderation guidelines. The comments below begin with the oldest comments first. Click on the last comments page to jump to the most recent comments.
Before posting, please read our blog moderation guidelines.
Post a Comment:
Copyright © 1995-2013 Psych Central. All rights reserved.
Site last updated: 19 Jun 2013
|
I’m sorry to say I disagree with everything you wrote. Beating addiction has nothing to do with avoiding the thing you’re addicted to. Every one of your ideas suggests avoidance. Imagine solving other problems with the power of avoidance such as an unpaid bill. It doesn’t solve the problem. When I quit smoking, I quit because I didn’t like it anymore, not because I avoided things which reminded me of smoking.
Just because you you quit smoking the way that you did does not mean that what has been said is wrong. That was your circumstance.
loved it, helped me so much, thank you
Well I liked it, and whilst Aaron has a point that you have to face your addictions, there’s a period in the beginning (and occuring regularly if you’re me!) when you just have to do anything to avoid the repeat behaviour.
As we know, on of the biggest hurdles to change is hard-wired behaviour and these were good ideas on to how to break that/those.
Thanks, I’m already finding this helpful
Chocolate is not an addiction, lol if you find yourself being unable to resist chocolate it doesn’t mean your addicted, it means your a pig. If your trying to quit drugs this step by step bull is a waste of time. All you need to do is say no today. That’s it, just for today, don’t think about what you need to do to quit or how hard it’s going to be to stay off it just say no today. You can’t outsmart or distract an addiction but you can delay it until cravings are not as strong and become manageable. Addiction is for life.
Hi Addict number 1, I pray you are clean, for today. You are correct in my opinion about staying clean one day at a time, sometimes one hour at a time if need be. I think you may be mistaken about the nature of addiction, however. People can get addicted to almost anything. Not being able to put down chocolate can be just as harmful as not being able to stop using. People can develop eating disorders and possibly die from obesity related problems or binge eating. This doesn’t mean they’re a pig, or whatever you meant by that. They just have an illness like addicts who can’t stop using. Perhaps you aren’t the type of addict discussed in the book, Alcoholics Anonymous, as the “real alcoholic (addict)”, who has lost all hope and nothing can seem to help to just stop and quit. Drugs are deadly however, so I choose to live a life of recovery which involves a program of living so that not only do I not have to pick up that drug or drink one day at a time, but I find something better than I could ever get out of any drug, food, drink, whatever. I have been happier than I’ve ever been in my entire life (not constantly, obviously… life still happens). So perhaps before judging 12 step programs which have helped millions of people to stay sober, the doors to AA and other such programs are always there to help and are there to help you too, if you ever get tired or slip or you are feeling hopeless and helpless. Thanks for listening and I wish you all the best.
Thanks Ms.(or Mrs.) Borchard. I found your steps, while specific, to be very informative. Especially in regard to my own struggle with various forms of addiction. I’ve just finished this article and haven’t had a chance to try putting some of the steps into practice yet. However, I was immediately inspired by your candid and truthful admissions of your own occasional lack of willpower. Being a young man (I’m only in my 20′s) I find it hard to have the legitimacy of my problems taken to heart sometimes. Although I do recognize some of this as a bit of denial on my part. I find that (some, definitely not all) people who are either older than me, or who have an addiction that is considered more severe(by themselves or my own assumptions)have very little sympathy for my plight. All they sometimes seem to see is a brat with more complaints than legitimate issues. I’ve struggled with addictions ranging from alcoholism(19 years old to present, you never fully forget or recover, I still drink much more than I would like and am prone to binging although on extremely rare occasions now) to any other street drug I could get my hands on. Though nothing involving needles or anything that heavy. You name it, Ive more than likely tried it(I state this NOT as a point of pride, merely a fact). All ramblings aside, I took from your steps a willingness to move forward towards complete sobriety and an understanding that these things take time, effort, and not least of all dedication. It somewhat comforts me to know that I’m not the only one who can get “trapped in their own mind”. I plan on taking larger steps towards complete sobriety for me and my future family. I am currently engaged and do not want to be married with even a speck of chemicals in my body. So thanks once again Ms. (or Mrs.) Borchard, I greatly appreciate your words.
Hmm, well, my addiction is unique and all of your suggestions are the reason I feel I need a coping mechanism in the first place.
I don’t have any of that stuff and I don’t know how to get it:
1. Get Some Buddies
I don’t have friends. One reason I am so depressed. I don’t even know how to make a friend, I have no social skills. I’ve tried, and guys just want ‘a good time’ and girls just want free babysitting and free counseling, which wouldn’t be a bad thing if they wanted to give me the same thing but they don’t want to contribute to the friendship.
2. Read Away the Craving
I don’t like reading.
3. Be Accountable to Someone
I have no one. One reason I’m depressed and turn to my addiction.
4. Predict Your Weak Spots
I can’t avoid my weak spot because it’s bedtime… and it’s not possible to stay awake indefinitely.
5. Distract Yourself
I try this, but I always seem to have too much time during the day, and turn to my addiction at night.
6. Sweat
I have a condition that doesn’t allow me to do much cardio exercise (one reason I get depressed so much)
7. Start a Project
I’ve done projects a lot in the past: quilting blankets and building computers, but it’s not really relevant because I can do all these things and still turn to my addiction at night.
8. Keep a Record
I do this, and it just reminds me of my pain, so I turn to my addiction.
9. Be the Expert
I don’t know many people, and I’m not in the position of helping anyone.
I used to help everyone before I learned how to think of myself also. I need to make this time about helping me now… I wish I had someone to help me, like I used to help others.
10. Grab Your Security Item
My addiction IS my security item.
11. Get on Your Knees
I’ve done this and I do this, but it only seems to remind me of my situation, which makes me more depressed that God isn’t there to save me (as usual) and I turn to my addiction to escape reality.
12. Do Nothing
I can’t do nothing. I have to do something. I just don’t know what. I know I won’t be successful without support. My prayers have been for death… I think that is the only way I will be free.
i disagree with alot its not wrong just dont agree with it. and number 12 you a lil off if you dont do anything how are you making progress?? if theyres one thing i l;earn with my opiate addiction is not doing anything is the worst thing you can do for the first 3 month your fine when not doing anything but eventually youll hit that brick wall and realize your addiction isnt making any progress
Great Steps, Well Written, My Suggestion to anyone attempting to work this program is to copy and paste the steps into word or other program, and then personalize it to your own habits, addictions, depressions, or whatever struggles you are going through, also personalize it with ideas on distractions and activities, even go as far as a schedule to follow, or TRY to follow to make sure you get up and out and GO do these things!
Thanks For Sharing. When I customize my list, I will share it with you all!