You Don't Have to Do It Alone

Not everyone can just say “I quit!,” and then do it. Some five million people participate in self-help groups each year to get help quitting their addictions to alcohol or drugs. That’s according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which goes by the acronym SAMHSA (pronounced SAM-SAH). Is a self-help group for you?

According to SAMHSA’s latest report this year, 2.3 million people who said they participated in self-help groups for drinking or drug use also said they had not used alcohol or illegal drugs for the previous month. This is based on the government agency’s survey each year since 2006.

What that means to me is that self-help groups aren’t the only answer. But they can help. You’ve got to be willing to say, ‘I quit!,” and mean it. I hit rock bottom plenty of times before I quit my three addictions to alcohol, cigarettes and overeating. Do whatever it takes to quit. If you’ve tried to quit and haven’t done it, get on the phone and call a self-help group. Nobody says you have to go it alone!

If you want to do more homework on people who chose self-help groups, or if you’re trying to convince an addicted friend or family member to sign up, here are two ways to get copies of the full report on the self-help study.

You can get the report at this Web site: http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k8/selfHelp/selfHelp.cfm. Or you can call the federal agency for your free copy at 1-877-726-4727. Ask for the report by its inventory number, which is SMA 08-4333.

Write to me at LindaJoyAllan@aol.com if it works for you!
The bottom line is: do something!

Why Quit Your Addiction?

Here Are A Few Reasons to Quit Your Addiction:

1) You'll just feel better overall---mentally and physically. I remember thinking about quitting smoking for years. Actually, it was difficult for me to truly contemplate quitting smoking because it scared me so much. How would I live without my cigarettes? I never thought I'd quit altogether. But I feel so good becuase I don't have breathing problems anymore and I know that I did something, well, HUGE!

2) You'll absolutely save money. I know that some people lose everything to support their addiction but for some people, especially in these times, it's important to save money. I wouldn't let money be the only criterion for quitting your addiction because when money is plentiful again you may go back. Just my thought on that.

3) Don't forget that we only live one time on this planet. You may have been run by your addiction for years. Sometimes when I have a decision to make I think of the words (Linda, you only live once) and it's much easier for me to make the right decision.

4) If you quit your addiction you will know you can trust yourself, which is HUGE! If you have a few things you've done and you see you can count on yourself to follow through, you will be more apt to make decisions about your life because you kow what you say...you will do.

You Gotta Have Conviction to Quit

I'm a big believer that when someone says they're going to do something, they do it. If you tell yourself you're going to do something do you follow through and do it? Or do you usually come up with excuses as to why you can't do it now or the circumstances are such that you can't finish now so you'll put it off...blah, blah, blah.....

I look around and I hate to say it but it seems that we just think we can do something if it's not difficult. Like quitting an addiction. We say we'd like to quit....but it will be too hard! It might be difficult but that doesn't mean you can't do it. Think about that. Instead of these words being depressing for you, let them be uplifting. YOU CAN QUIT YOUR ADDICTION.

Doesn't it feel good to hear the truth? Because you really CAN quit. It's all in the mind, really..

Sticking to Your Goals, No Matter How You Feel

I know I write about this a lot, but I think it's what makes or breaks goals.

If you have a goal---say losing weight---and you wake up on day 1 raring to go, you may even have gotten up early before work to work out. Good, you did it!

Then you wake up the next day and.......well you don't feel like working out so much. You start coming up with reasons to put working out off---I'm tired, I don't feel like working out, I need more sleep (that COULD be a good one actually), I'll work out tomorrow instead. Whatever reason, you have many. Result? You don't work out. One of your reasons won.

I know what a trap this is because I used to do it too. But then I started putting less emphasis on my reasons as to why I couldn't work out or eat the way I knew I needed to in order to lose weight, and just started exercising and eating right because I TOLD MYSELF THAT WAS MY GOAL. What was the outcome? I started losing weight, getting fit and not thinking about food all the time.

It really will save you a lot of time too, not having to think about whether or not you'll go to the gym, eat right, not drink, not smoke---whatever your addiction my be. If you decide your plan ahead of time and follow it several times, then you get used to counting on yourself and every day will be easier and easier.

It's true, try it.