Addiction is a condition in which a person is unable to stop using a substance or engaging in a pattern of behavior. Not having control over your behavior to the point of harming one's health, the complete dependence on substances or an activity ie gambling or running can be a chronic condition describing addiction.

It can stem from any lacking areas of our lives. For example, exposure to drugs at an early age, peer pressure, or mental health issues among others. Addiction can be treated through therapy, medication, or counseling. It can be detected early and treated. Signs of an addiction include poor performance at work or school, strained and abusive relationships, (their abuser is usually the addict) lack of control over the usage of substance or engaging in activities even if it might be harmful to the user, and degrading self-care; health, and hygiene.

1CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Habit is an everyday activity that the environment you are in, feeds. For example, if someone is addicted to food, they should not keep on buying a lot of junk in their homes. This makes it harder for them to snack all the time and forces them to eat healthy snacks and healthy foods. The presence of foods you enjoy is a trigger to fall back into the habit. The environment also includes people around you. Are your friends or family not helping your break your addiction? then change your environment.

The need to succeed should be strong enough to help you be upfront with them. Avoid being caught up. Possibly you are trying to break free from alcohol addiction and your favorite hangout is a bar, then you should reconsider your choices.

2MAKE A DECISION TODAY AND MEAN IT

Change, as we all know comes from within. If you want to break your addiction, you have to make the tough decision, mean it, and stick with it. Deciding is the best start you can ever have. Your seriousness and the effort you put in the work on you because only you understand your situation better than anyone else and only you know the barriers in your way.

Choosing to quit means choosing to remove those impediments ie the environment you are in, the friends and colleagues, and even family. Elimination of all these barriers is in your hands. Strategize how you will approach the goal, that is, breaking the addiction and being free from it. Make precise and well-laid-out steps to follow through the whole process, and choose how to approach it through medication and therapy. It is easier to clasp to and follow your plans to realization. Find out why you want to change, the reason for your course of action the why will help you and boost your energy.

Do you want to be a better person not only for yourself but also for others?

3SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION

Seeking help is not a weakness. It is a strength. Professional help will provide you with healthy coping mechanisms to alleviate your symptoms without falling back into addiction. Professional help can comprise therapy, medication, or counseling. They have the expertise and experience to help people with similar problems. Most individuals with underlying issues like depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder can seek medical help for these issues from licensed therapists.

There is a likelihood of management of addiction with the management of these issues. Most individuals succumb to addiction because of this mental illness.

4ESTABLISH A SOCIAL SUPPORT

Addiction is a journey, substance addiction particularly, should not be ventured on alone. Research suggests that people battling addiction should seek support from family, friends, and social groups will Being an addict, it's most likely that your circle of friends might be individuals who might not help you because there is a likelihood that they also are victims. Reach out to people in your life that might be a positive influence on you. Social groups are perfect because you get to open up and listen to other people's stories who were or are in your shoes. They understand it better.

The encouragement and motivation from their inspiring stories and fellow courageous individuals fighting the same or similar battle with you will keep you in check. Seeking social support also means letting go of existing social groups if there are not beneficial to your recovery. If your group of friends or family might in one way or another make you lapse or pose as a toxic environment for your recovery, then set boundaries. If they love and respect you, they should support your decision to have a better life.

5KEEP BUSY

The perfect way to keep something out of your mind is to keep it out of your sight and to have a lot of other distractions occupying your mind. Keeping busy makes you too involved with other significant things. It leaves no room for destructive thoughts that lead to unwarranted activities ie addictions. Engage yourself in your hobbies or sports, music, or art.

Busy your schedule with work or volunteer your time and skills to help others. Addiction in most scenarios is picked up during the extra time, that time you have nothing in particular to do. Being occupied takes that free time off your hands and helps you with your addiction.

Work on your health too. Good health plays a really big role in overall response strength. Ensure you balance your diet and include exercises in your daily routines to keep you fit and energized.

6MAKE PEACE WITH YOUR PAST

Except that you fell into addiction and be willing to accept and walk towards change. Put in place boundaries for yourself. It will keep you in check when you are blurry and hazy. It helps you stay in check and follow plans. Exercise self-control. Do not let what happened and has been happening for the last years dictate your future. You are strong enough to break loose and move towards your goals.

Do not be engulfed and lost in regrets of the past. There's nothing you can do about it now. The best thing is to move on. What happened and is no longer in your hands but what will happen in the future is solely on you, on the choices you will make, the path you will chant for yourself onwards.

In a nutshell, conquering addiction is not an easy thing to do. It takes patience and consistency and a willing spirit. It is a conceivable goal that anyone can realize. Do not fight alone, some so many people ready to help and support you reach your goal.