Before You Grab another Beer and Hit another Joint: 6 Ways to Delay or Prevent Desire

For most people, drinking alcohol and taking drugs is a friends’ activity away, an occasion away, or a severe problem away. To others however, alcohol and drugs are within convenient reach. Just one little impulse and they are on their fourth bottle in the morning or a few seconds from getting high…again. That is the thing about substance abuse. It becomes a routine, a habit. Once the desire kicks in, one just easily gives in. Or once there is simply just nothing to do, drugs and alcohol become the default activity. When things are like these with you or with someone you know, you seriously have to consider an affordable drug rehab.

Before you hit the affordable drug rehab or while you are at it, here are a few things you can do to distract yourself from giving in to the irrational impulses of substance use.

1. Take a walk. If you are cooped up in your room or in your house, apartment, or wherever you are staying in, get up and stretch your legs outside. You will be amazed at how different it actually feels to sit or lay around all day compared to being outside seeing other people or simply having different scenery other than your walls and ceilings. Breathe in and enjoy the nature or whatever is your surroundings. Acknowledge people’s presence. Smile. Maybe the conversation you strike with a neighbor or a stranger is just what you need to feel good or get a fresh perspective about things.

2. Exercise. It may sound much because even the individuals that are not under substance abuse are having a hard time initiating a work out. It does not have to be half an hour of work out. It could just be a simple five to ten minutes of stretching, yoga, jumping jacks, skipping ropes, stationary or real jogging, running, swimming, or a simple walk on the treadmill. Once you get started you might want to do more. You would experience a different high that is not from drugs, but from exercise.

3. Take something else. When you crave for another drink, are you sure it is alcohol? Control over your impulse and give in to your muscle memory to gulp a bottle up but this time drink something else besides alcohol, like maybe a bottle of chocolate, or milk, or fruit juices.

4. Call someone. Maybe you have lost touch with a friend or a family member. Try ringing their phone. These days, it isn’t too hard to contact someone or to find his contact details. Look up the internet or use other means besides phone like social media. Call somebody and talk about anything. Or you may call nonprofit hotlines that purposely help individuals experiencing some crisis. You may call drug detox centers.

5. Pen and paper. Pick up a pen and paper and doodle whatever you want or write out your thoughts. By sketching or writing things out you may be able to understand more what you really want without using alcohol or drugs as the means. You might even find the answers to your confusions or the solution to your problems. You may look up drug detox centers and write down its information and get to them soon.

6. Take pictures. Not everyone is into photography but you might be amazed at how much time has passed and how distracted you have been when you try to take a good photo of something and then find another interesting subject. For all you know, you already have that talent in you just waiting to be discovered.

All the help you need are not always external. It is a truth that sometimes we are simply on ourselves not because nobody wants to help but simply because of circumstances. People want to help you. Your friends, your family, and the best drug rehab do. For now, you have yourself, and you can definitely do it! Break the cycle of a destructive substance use routine. A few minutes of distraction can affect your whole day, your whole week, or even extend your life and happiness longer. Hang in there until you finally decide to take refuge to the best drug rehab. Our doors are always open for you.

Joint Commission Accredited

Turning Point Treatment Center, Inc.