Tips for Teens Fighting Addiction

It’s all too common to think that you can handle your addiction on your own or that you can somehow muscle your way through it without thinking about how the recovery will all play out.  This kind of thinking and poor judgment is often the reason teens wind up relapsing back into their old habits after trying to give up the drugs or alcohol.

The best way to fight an addiction of any kind, is to get help.  This doesn’t mean you have to go pour your heart out to a councilor you barely know.  There is a support system all around you that you just have to activate.

Tell Your Friends

This can be difficult if you have some shame or guilt associated with your drug abuse or addiction.  But most of the time your close friends will hear the call for help and make themselves available to talk and assist in whatever ways they can.  This often means you’ll need to gravitate back to the friends that don’t use drugs in order to get the support you need.  Your addicted or substance abusing friends won’t be so supportive.  Ask your friends and family to be available when you need them.

Attend Drug-Free Events

The hardest part about avoiding an alcohol or drug problem, even for adults, is that so many of the social outings with your peers will involve some kind of indulgence in substance use.  If you’re serious about your health and quality of life and are committed to staying clean and sober (which you should be, of course), then you’ll have to learn to avoid going places and doing things that will tempt you to use.  Organize get-togethers and outings that won’t involve drugs or alcohol so you can still have fun and spend time with friends.

Have a Plan

Just thinking you can wing it and “eat better” never works on a diet and it certainly won’t work in addiction recovery.  You need to be aware of your triggers and cravings so you can plan to avoid or resist them ahead of time.  What will you do when someone offers you a hit?   What happens when the anxiety kicks in and you start craving?   You need a plan so you aren’t helpless when these things happen.

Get Active

The most important thing you can do to kick a drug habit is to give yourself something else to do and focus on.  Being involved in extra-curricular activities like sports, music, the arts, volunteer work, or a part time job can help you stay focused on your goals and interests, rather than destructive drug habits that will only rob you of your dreams and your future.