Even though we may be, a month into 2019, already, I strongly believe that change can happen at any time of the year. You don’t have to wait till January to make changes in our lives. There is no time like the present!
Change, big or small can be hard. But change can also be highly beneficial. Positive changes can have an impact on our health and wellbeing for the better. Beating negative habits like smoking and excessive drinking can be difficult but are conducive to healthy mental wellbeing.
Here are some tips and advice on how to help yourself and others to beat those negative habits, to improve your mental health and wellbeing.
With a new year comes the opportunity for change. For most of us, that change will only be something small; however, for others, the change may be something bigger, like starting a weight loss routine, leaving a bad job or perhaps even deciding that it is time to kick an addictive habit and start on the road to recovery. This is a brave decision.
If you are trying to encourage someone to quit a harmful habit, rest assured that there will always be help at hand for people aiming to get a fresh start.
Admitting the problem
No matter what sort of addiction someone has, whether it is to drugs or alcohol, the first thing that they need to do to fix the addiction is to admit that they have a problem. It is only when this problem is out in the open that they can actually get help for it.
Do not force this out of people. For many people, admitting that they have an addiction can be difficult due to their feelings of embarrassment or belief that they can "quit" at any time they want. Take it slow and let the person slowly comes to term with it. Always let them know that you will be there for them when they are ready to take the next step forward.
Encouragement and expectations
The first thing you need to know about recovery from an addiction is that it is not an easy path. That is why it is up to you to make sure that the person whose recovery you are helping with knows that it will take a long time before they are fully able to break away.
Never tell an addict that it is impossible for them to break away. They can overcome their addiction if they take their time handling their cravings. You may even want to suggest to them that they look into the 12-step-programme put together by Alcoholics Anonymous.
Online advice
One of the main things that you can do to encourage someone to start a recovery process is to recommend helpful services that can provide them with the support they need. Though you might not be able to provide all of that support they require, except through being emotionally there for them, you can give them the tools to make the decision for themselves to get help.
Recommend useful online organisations that they can visit, such as the Government's drug rehabilitation help program, FRANK. The more information that they can look up of their own accord, the more likely that they might look into getting qualified help.
The UK has many addiction treatment centres, making it straightforward for the addict to benefit from drug and alcohol rehab in Surrey, London or further afield. It does not matter where exactly they go, as long as they feel confident and ready to get the help they need.
Self-help
If the addict is not comfortable enough to speak to their GP about their addiction, you may want to encourage them to get some self-help from support groups like Narcotics Anonymous. These groups will leave the addict feeling like they are not alone - and, with their support, you will be able to focus on targets that will encourage them to start quitting their addiction.
So, there we have it, there is lots of help and advice out there to help yourself or others, beat negative habits and have a happier healthy life.
*Thank you for Climb Online for this guest post
