9 Natural Ways to Curb Addiction

Natural Ways to Curb Addiction

Natural ways to Curb Addiction – Whenever hearing the word “addiction,” you probably think of drugs and alcohol. While those two substances are the most problematic, you can abuse anything from food to social media. If you turn to anything compulsively enough to interrupt your daily living activities, you have a problem you must address.

However, everyone does not has access to mental health treatment. What holistic alternatives do you have to help in your recovery? Try any or all of the following nine natural ways to curb addiction and regain your sense of control and purpose.

1. Find a Support Group

A competent general would never send one unarmed individual to fight an entire battle. It is their strength in numbers, and you can draw upon it to overcome addiction.

Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are perhaps the most well-known 12-step programs, but you can find versions for issues like compulsive overeating, too. Although these groups are nondenominational, there are multiple alternatives online if you don’t like the “higher power” component.

2. Add Structure to Your Life

Even the most supportive groups don’t meet 24/7. One of the reasons many experts recommend exercise for quitting addiction is because it adds structure to your life. You won’t feel as tempted to stay up late drinking while watching TV if you know you have to meet a friend for a 6 a.m. run or spin class.

Buy a planner or invest in an app version and make it your best friend. If you struggle with food addiction, define your mealtimes, and don’t eat outside of them. If social media is your nemesis, set strict scrolling hours.

3. Train for a Race or Event

It’s easy to say “get more exercise,” but if you didn’t grow up working out as part of your lifestyle, the proclamation isn’t precise or realistic. What are you supposed to do, and when? Will a few biceps curls during commercials, cut the mustard?

Why not train for a 5K or an obstacle event like Tough Mudder? You can find customizable training plans online that tell you what to do each day. Furthermore, add the natural way to curb your addiction, instead of exercise, and refreshing.

4. Take a Class

Sweating it up is well and good, but what if you have more empty hours to fill than the desire to run a marathon? You could take a class in something that fascinates you instead.

Besides, you do not have to head to your local community college if you don’t want to or feel safe doing so with ongoing COVID-19 threats. You can find inexpensive virtual classes and even free lessons on YouTube to master anything from computer programming to the ukulele.

5. Investigate Supplements

If you find going cold turkey too problematic — it is 2020, after all — some herbs may help. Kudzu contains three isoflavones — daidzin, daidzein, and puerarin — that the Chinese have long used to treat alcoholism. One recent National Institutes of Health study found that binge drinkers treated with this herb’s extract consumed 1.3 fewer beers than the control group.

Researchers believe the extract works by boosting blood flow to the brain. When you feel the effects of alcohol more quickly, you decrease consumption.

Alcohol interferes with several neurotransmitter levels. As a result, when you stop drinking, your body craves more to return to homeostasis. Over time, supplementation coupled with intake reduction could help balance your brain chemistry and decrease addictive urges.

6. Adopt a Yoga Practice

While any form of exercise helps tame addictive behaviors, yoga reigns supreme for two reasons. It’s suitable for those with chronic pain — some folks abuse substances because they need relief. The analgesic properties of this practice can help reduce the need for chemical painkillers.

Furthermore, unlike other forms of exercise — which, let’s admit it, make you tired — you can practice yoga for hours. That isn’t to say you won’t feel the burn. Still, the combination of flexibility with movement inhibits the delayed-onset muscle soreness you feel when repeatedly contracting them during marathon training.

 

7. Try a Healthy Substitution

What if smoking is your nemesis? While you might not miss smelling like an ashtray, you could feel awkward AF without something in your hand during work breaks.

Consider a healthy substitution, like sucking on a flavored toothpick. Unlike candy, it won’t increase your caloric intake, but it will let you replace the comforting hand-to-mouth motion.

8. Do Your Research

If you take a logical, scientific approach to life, researching your addiction may help you quit. For example, if you struggle with your weight, learning how alcohol makes you gain more may convince you to put down the bottle.

Seek stories of celebrities who successfully overcame addictions like yours. While seeing pictures of them at their worst may dismay you, you’ll feel inspired at how folks like Robert Downey Jr. successfully turned their lives around.

9. Practice Meditation

Meditation is an excellent practice for understanding what drives your addictive urges. Try practicing mindfulness by focusing only on your breath. Observe thoughts as they enter your mind, and then redirect your focus to your inhalations and exhalations.

In doing so, you may notice “stinking thinking” — ideas like, “I deserve a drink after a long day.” Really? Would you say the same thing about a fresh cup of antifreeze? They’re both toxins, and some would argue that the latter tastes better than rotgut.

Help Curb Addiction Naturally With These 9 Tips

If you struggle with cravings for anything from cigarettes to illicit drugs, you know how challenging it is to quit. Improve your chances of success with these nine tips to help curb addiction naturally.

Also, read – Top 10 Delicious Foods High in Protein.