A bad habit is a hard thing to break. Habits are deep, complex relationships and associations in the brain. If habits were simple relationships they would be easier to become aware of, stop, and change. In many ways, drug and alcohol addiction is a habit. A part learning process, part compulsion, part memory, the routines and behaviors we put into our drug and alcohol addiction becomes a habit- a very, very, dangerous habit. To change our story about addiction we have to change our habits about addiction. It is crucial to start making habits into goals for recovery. What we most often do not realize is how deep our habits go when it comes to our addiction because our addiction influences different parts of our lives. Addiction is part of all of our habits when it is a part of our life.

Our choices in food, clothing, how often we put gas in our car, what we buy at the grocery store, and more are all habits we build around our addiction. We just are not aware of it. Recovering from drug and alcohol detox and addiction includes re-learning how to do all of these small habitual practices because we have to take the addiction part out. Life skills, building self-esteem, and even seemingly effortless tasks like choosing our clothes for the day will present themselves more challenging than we could have imagined them to be. To make changing habits easier, we can turn them into goals. Making habits into goals for recovery is effective because it changes the way we approach these tasks. Here are some of the reasons why you should change changing your habits into creating goals.

Habits are Tedious, Goals are Fun

It can feel impossible to change a habit. It takes 90 days to break a habit, it is said. Anyone in early recovery from drug and alcohol addiction can know that 90 days is a long time during which many changes can take place. Goals can be done almost immediately or accomplished over time. By repeatedly achieving your goals, you reprogram your habits because achieving your goals becomes your new habit. Habits do not get rewarded. Typically, the reward for changing a habit is at the end of the change. Goals can be rewarded immediately.

Instead of fighting your way through not acting on your habit for a day, you set a goal. For example, today, I will not pick up drugs and alcohol. That is a goal. Come midnight, when you have made it through the day without picking up drugs and alcohol, you can reward yourself- just not with drugs and alcohol. Slowly setting and achieving our goals of all kinds becomes so habitual that they do not necessitate rewarding ourselves anymore because setting and achieving our goals inherently is the reward- and that is a good habit anyone can build.

Addiction treatment starts with your mentality. Having a positive outlook can make treatment more effective and make patients more responsive.

Oceanfront Recovery Offers Addiction Treatment

Oceanfront Recovery is a men’s & women’s addiction treatment center that offers residential treatment programs and a full continuum of care so men can gain their self-efficacy and autonomy for successful independent living. We can help you in your process of making habits into goals for recovery. Some of the treatment therapy programs we offer include:

Addiction does not have to control your life. Addiction help is available for those who are ready to make a positive change in their lives. Call us today for more information about addiction treatment options at 877.296.7477. Get the help that you need today.