Just like that, he took a shotgun and shot himself to the head. When examined, high traces of heroin were found in his body along with traces of Valium. Before dying, he had left a suicide note addressed to Boddah, his childhood imaginary friend. That’s how Kurt Cobain killed himself on the 5th of April, 1994. He was 27 and was at the height of a career that catapulted him as a global icon with his songs becoming mainstream worldwide.
It rsquo;s really hard to assess how much drug addiction has robbed society of its youth. The story of the Nirvana frontman is one of the many stories that show that drug addiction ruins lives. But it is just the tip of the iceberg. In 2019 alone, over 7 ,000 Americans succumb to drug-related overdose.
The best way to deal with drug addiction, however, is to prevent it from ever entering your system. The good news is drug addiction is easier to prevent than to get out of, as is usually the case with most substance abuse. Below are expert medical advisory to make it happen.
Focus on Your Mental Health
One mistake many people make is not focusing on improving their mental health. To not let drug addiction set in, you must stay mentally healthy and alert. And the way to do this is by looking for ways you can cope with stress in a healthy manner.
Stress is known to have a huge impact on your mental health. Almost every single event in your daily life stresses you out physically or mentally. And if the stress is not properly handled it can drastically affect your mental health, forcing you to find alternative ways to rein it all in.
A good way to do this is via meditation and exercise. Staying active not only helps you establish positive connections with friends, but also promotes your overall mental health. Indeed, the ability of exercise to boost your mood is well-documented.
Don’t Hesitate to Seek Help
Seeking help doesn’t make you any less of a person. In fact, seeking help shows your strength and love for yourself.
Opt for a therapy or counseling session if you feel like you’re dealing with too much stress. This should be done from time to time, especially if you have depressive tendencies. Talking to someone about your struggles makes it a lot easier to overcome that struggle.
In a way, talk therapy and counseling are also beneficial when someone gets into a drug habit. It is central to the methodologies of a drug rehabilitation center. Even better, drug rehab experts look into the underlying reasons why a particular person gets addicted. By providing the necessary input and a tailored solution, not to mention a good environment, many drug rehab centers give drug-addicted individuals their lives back.
Have a Happy Lifestyle
While you may not see it, but being happy is a vital way to prevent drug addiction from finding its way to you. Truth be told, it’s vital to live a healthy and happy lifestyle to be able to stay away from drugs.
Thus, you need to let go of things that make you unhappy and embrace those that make you happy. By the same token, let go of hurtful relationships and embrace friendships that make you happy. And that should be applicable to your career.
Focus on Things and People You Love
Another way to prevent drug addiction is by focusing on people and things that you love. It could be a hobby or a pet or someone dear to you.
Having something/someone you love so much helps you to stay healthy. It motivates you to remain mentally healthy and also emotionally stable. When that happens, drugs would not be on your radar.
Find Out if Addiction Runs in the Family
In recent times, there has been a lot of research on the relationship between addiction and genetics. Well, studies show genetics may have a role to play in drug addiction. Quite simply, this means that if any member of your family is a drug addict, there is a risk of you being an addict. Of course, it doesn’t automatically make you an addict.
Forewarned is forearmed. If it runs in the family, then you have to be more careful when it comes to the consumption of alcohol and drugs. Moreover, you can seek counsel early on how to avoid developing an addiction. This way, you prep yourself and ensure you’re in the right state of mind to not opt for drugs.
Drug addiction is a down-the-hill fall that’s hard to stop. The trick is to never give it an inch or it could take with it a mile. As the saying goes: an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
