When deciding how to quit our drug of choice, some of us make the choice to quit “cold turkey,” abruptly and with finality, without any form of intervention, medical or otherwise, to help us quit. Some of us don’t put thought into it, we just are able to quit for good, in one shot. For others of us, even just the thought of quitting cold turkey send us into a panic. We’re desperately afraid of living without our drug of choice. We feel dependent upon it. We feel as though we need it. We’re afraid of the withdrawal symptoms. We’re afraid of how lonely, sad and anxious we’ll feel without our go-to way of self-medicating. We worry about how we’ll cope moving forward. We tell ourselves we’ll get help eventually. We convince ourselves this time will be our last time using, and then we’ll quit. We make all kinds of excuses and justifications for our addictive behaviors and choices. We have a hard time keeping our addictive impulses in check, and we struggle to have the willpower necessary to withstand our addictive urges.
For some of us, quitting cold turkey might not be an option. We might need medical support, especially if we’re also struggling with mental health issues or other medical conditions. We might need to do a lot of mental and emotional healing work before we’re able to quit. We might need to wean ourselves off of our drug of choice and slowly decrease our dependence and attachment. Others of us need professional treatment, sometimes more than once, to finally get to the root of all the unresolved issues fueling our addictions.
Each of us has a unique experience with addiction, so our experience with quitting will also be unique. What works for one person might not work for another. There is no right or wrong way to quit, just the way that works for you. What’s perhaps most important is that we not feel as though we have to do it alone. Whether making the choice to quit cold turkey or not, let’s give ourselves all the support and nurturing we need to not only be sober but to also be self-loving and self-empowering as we move forward in our recovery.
Your new life starts today. Let Riverside Recovery be your support system as you do the work to heal. Call (800) 871-5440 for more information on our addiction recovery treatment programs.