Alt. text: pills on an orange background representing mental health benefits of overcoming addiction
When you find yourself in utter despair, with an iron fist entrapping every molecule of your existential being, it’s hard to think about anything except keeping the looming black holes at bay. Overcoming addiction is one of the hardest things a human being can face. It’s a matter of life and death without the use of linguistic hyperbole. Overcoming an invisible enemy takes superhuman strength. Accidentally cutting yourself is an easy fix – you go straight to the E.R., get a couple of stitches, and you’re good to go. Mending our soul, mind, and heart is something entirely different. How do you fix an invisible wound? With invisible sutures? It’s not that easy. It requires us to give t our all, our 100%, our everything. But you know what? It’s worth it; every tear, every scare. Why? You get to have your life back. You’ll have – you. So, let’s look at the mental health benefits of overcoming addiction.
Table of Contents
Jaws of addiction
The philosophy of our modern society heavily relies on external stimuli due to sensory overload. The need to escape, numb ourselves and make whatever is pinning us down go away organically opens a microscopic gate to addiction. Most common addictions include:
- Nicotine
- Alcohol
- Marijuana
- Stimulants
- Painkillers
- Benzodiazepines
- Barbiturates
- Cocaine
- Heroin
Quitting your “crutch” when you’re most vulnerable might feel unachievable and, at times, unattainable, but ask yourself: If this is rock bottom, what else is there to fear? It’s 2022, and summer is afoot; it’s time to take care of our mental health. No more excuses.
Now let’s see how overcoming addiction benefits our mental health.
Purpose: restored
The future doesn’t look bright when you’re struggling with addiction. You find yourself ruminating about the past, your life is a bad dream, and depersonalized sensation consumes your days. Mistakes come back to haunt you, along with relationships that have gone wrong. The vicious cycle of substance abuse causes feelings of isolation, loneliness, and rejection. Recovery is about letting go of premises, hypothetical judgment, and feeling misunderstood. It’s you in the present tense. And there’s nothing more beautiful than being in your skin again, with a life ahead of you.
Confidence boost
More than 16 million people (18+) have been prescribed Adderall in the U.S. alone. Similar to methamphetamine, this widely consumed stimulant (intended for treating ADHD) is being misused by high schoolers, people in college, young professionals, and people with long working hours in order to increase their productivity and alertness. Although stimulants (like Ritalin, Concerta, and Dexedrine) help when it comes to short-term performance, developing an addiction leaves long-term consequences. The addiction alone can and will impede the consumer’s self-image, leaving them uncomfortable in their own skin. Overcoming your addiction will make room for self-love.
And if you’re struggling with Adderall and similar prescription drug addiction, please reach out to professionals. You don’t have to do this alone. Therapists and support groups are there to give you encouragement to pull through. They can help you find healthy ways to handle triggers and high-risk situations.
Power back
You don’t have to use heroin to develop an addiction. Socially acceptable substances are a stealth enemy. Alcohol and marijuana are rarely frowned upon, yet most people in recovery have struggled for years to quit the habit and find the most effective detox treatments. Substance abuse takes away your power, and it’s a special kind of slavery – the self-imposed kind. The need for a fix is put on a pedestal while other aspects of your life silently crumble away. Your relationships become irrelevant, and your job is meaningless; there’s nothing there except that single source of joy. Once you quit, mental clarity will take over. You will feel more energized, unburdened, focused, and able to enjoy all aspects of life.
Organic sleep
Prescription drug abuse has been spreading like the plague (especially since COVID-19), with Z drugs and benzodiazepines being one of the most common addiction culprits. Anxiety, depression, and stress lead to poor quality of sleep; poor quality of sleep leads to addiction if we’re not careful enough. Being deprived of our physiological needs often elicits an inherent fear that, in return, consumes us with anticipation, thus, leading to developing an artificially induced sleeping pattern by becoming dependent on sleeping pills (Valium, Ambien). Sleeping should be your body’s natural response to tiredness; slipping into an induced “coma” isn’t quality sleep. According to professionals from Bright Futures Treatment Center FL, the mental health benefits of overcoming addiction are primarily linked to lower levels of irritability.
Reduced risk of developing mental disorders
Many people who already struggle with mental health issues will turn to prescription drugs, alcohol, and marijuana to alleviate the pain and discomfort they’re experiencing. Substance abuse can only worsen the existing problems (or trigger pre-existing mental health issues that might run in your family). There are many documented cases of drug or alcohol-induced schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety. Quitting the habit will ensure your mental health stays intact.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most efficient tools for overcoming addiction. Walking the recovery path alone is hard; we suggest finding a local support group.
No more guilt
Guilt is every addict’s Achilles heel, anchored in their consciousness. Every time you use it, it lingers long enough to ensure you understand that you have failed. Again. And again. The need to crucify yourself but also want that one last fix. It’s simply excruciating. It’s a special kind of hell, Dante’s 9th circle. And only you, solely you, can do something about it. If you are a fan of GOT (Game of Thrones), you surely remember that scene: “Shame!” “Shame!” “Shame!” – that’s precisely how deciding to go into recovery feels. But, guess what? There’s good news. The process of recovery will heal all rumination around feelings of guilt and shame. You just need to let it. Without negative self-image patterns, your mental health is left with no choice but to blossom.
Finally, trust yourself
Take all the mental health benefits of overcoming addiction into consideration – you gain everything by quitting and lose nothing but a self-destructive habit. Substance abuse is not a form of freedom; living your life with dignity and contentment is. You are not alone.
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