Harm reduction can mean different things to different people, but a common thread in all harm reduction is the idea of improving your life. One way to do this is through personal growth.
Personal growth is important to everyone, but it especially important to people suffering from addiction. Whether you've gotten sober and are struggling, are trying to get sober, or are still using but trying to improve your life, working on yourself is key. Sometimes as drug users we are at a place where we are not yet ready to quit. Maybe we fear the withdrawals symptoms, maybe we suffer from anxiety or depression, or maybe are just scared of life without drugs. Either way by working on yourself you can still improve your quality of life and your chances of getting clean in the future.
Even if you have no intention of ever getting off opiates this is still something worth working on. Think of it as investing in yourself and your future.
How to improve your life through personal growth?
There is no one set path to improve your life. Each person’s path to personal growth will be unique to them. However there are some common things most people can work on that will improve their lives.
Getting in shape / working out - Being fit and healthy is important. Besides for the physical benefits working out releases endorphins that makes us feel good. Furthermore self care like taking care of our bodies is an important part of self love.
Socializing and meeting new people - Many drug users suffer from social anxiety and depression. Socializing with others and meeting new people can be a great way to work on these issues. Find some hobbies you enjoy and try joining a group of people who have similar interests. Whether it's joining a gym like a rock climbing or CrossFit gym, or joining a club such as a book club or bowling league. Find people with similar interests and spend time together. This can be a great way to socialize and meet new people while also doing something you enjoy. Spending time in social situations will help you face your anxiety and conquer it. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and NA meetings can also be a great place to meet similar people and work on personal growth.
Starting a personal project - Having a personal project that you enjoy working can be tremendously helpful. It can give you a healthy and productive way to spend your free time. A personal project can be anything that you will enjoy doing and will require some time and effort, creating/recording music, making art, a new business venture, starting a charity, writing a book, are all good options. When picking a project you want something that will take you time to accomplish and that you will feel good about working on. Be creative with this and dare to dream big. Working on your project should be both pleasurable and give you a sense of accomplishment. Many of us have a large part of our lives dedicated to responsibilities that we need to take care of regardless of how we are feeling. Having a project you chose and that you enjoy can give you a feeling of freedom and self determination.
Dealing with your trauma and emotional scars - Many drug users suffer from trauma, however even if you don’t have trauma, processing your emotional baggage is healthy. A good therapist can be very useful in helping you process and heal. For those who don’t want or can’t see a therapist, talking to a good friend or significant other can also be helpful.
Confronting your depression and anxiety - There can be many ways to deal with depression and anxiety. Medication, therapy, exercise, and mediations can all one helpful. There are many other options as well, the important thing is that you deal with your depression and anxiety and don’t just ignore it. As long as you are working on them your moving in the right direction. Sometimes confronting your anxiety head on can be helpful. For example if you you are at a party feeling anxious about socializing, instead of getting stuck in your head attack it head on by approaching someone and starting a conversation. The quicker you confront your anxiety each time the easier it will be. By confronting it you will realize that 99% of the time the fear in your mind is much worse than it actually turned out to be in real life. This will give you confidence and each successive time you use this technique it should become easier through positive reinforcement. Conversely each time you allow your anxiety to control you and you allow it to prevent you from doing things your mind will convince you that your not capable of it and this will cause negative reinforcement making it harder in the future. So next time you have anxiety try facing it head on.
Gratitude - Being a grateful person will make you feel happier, and make your mind more positive. We all have things to be grateful for. The trick is finding these things and taking some moments out of your day to be grateful for them. Even if its just something simple like being alive today, or having food to eat. Try and take a moment out of your day to find reasons to be grateful. A good time to do this is in the morning or at night. You can make a gratitude list to help and add a few things to it everyday. Its ok if in the beginning you repeat things, but its best to try and find new things to be grateful for everyday. The idea is too train your mind to find reasons to be grateful and be positive about your life.
Conclusion
Personal growth is something that all people should work on. The more you grow as a person the better your life will become. You will also have a better chance to get and stay clean. Listed above are just some ways to work on personal growth, if you have others please leave them in the comments below.
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