How Long Does It Take to Break an Addiction Habit?

Recovery from addiction is an ongoing process that involves lifelong work to maintain recovery. It is inevitable that there will be days that will challenge your sobriety. Through consistent action, you can maintain your sobriety and recover from your addiction.

What qualifies as an addiction?

Addiction is a term that refers to a person having a problem with a substance, like drugs or alcohol. It can also include behaviors like gambling, shopping, or sex. People who are addicted to a substance or behavior find it hard to control their urges. They may keep engaging in the addiction, even when it causes serious problems for them.

What are different types of addiction?

Addiction is an umbrella term for any substance or behavior that is done compulsively and causes significant problems in a person’s life. People can develop addictions to the following substances and behaviors:

• Alcohol

• Prescription medications like opioid painkillers, benzodiazepines, and stimulants

• Marijuana

• Heroin

• Cocaine

• Methamphetamine

• Nicotine

• Behaviors like gambling, shopping, sex, and food

What are the four levels of addiction?

Addiction usually begins with occasional use and develops over time into something more frequent and serious. The length of time it takes to develop an addiction varies from person to person. Addiction can be broken down into four levels:

• Experimentation: This is when substance use first begins. During this stage, a person may use drugs or alcohol on occasion, but they do not have a regular pattern of use. For example, a person may drink alcohol or smoke marijuana with friends on the weekends.

• Regular use: During this stage, a person’s use becomes more consistent. They may start drinking or using drugs on a daily basis or every weekend. Problems related to using may start to develop at this stage.

• Dependence: At this stage, the brain and body become accustomed to drugs and/or alcohol and begin to need them to function. Tolerance — a need for more of a substance to achieve the desired effects — and withdrawal can happen during this stage.

• Addiction: At the most severe stage, a person is physically and psychologically dependent. They feel unable to stop, even though drugs or alcohol are causing significant issues at this point. A person at this stage may feel like the drug controls them, rather than the other way around.

It is never too early or late to get help if you are struggling with addiction. Whether you are just starting to experience problems or are already dependent on drugs or alcohol, help is available. 

What are the causes of addiction?

Addiction is believed to be caused by a combination of biological, environmental, and developmental factors. Risk factors are events, traits, or experiences that increase the likelihood of developing an addiction. The more risk factors you have, the more likely you are to become addicted to substances. 

Risk factors for drug and alcohol addiction include:

• Genetic predisposition

• Family drug or alcohol use

• Growing up in poverty

• Peer pressure to use drugs or alcohol

• History of abuse

• Early drug and alcohol use

While risk factors increase the likelihood of addiction, protective factors are events, traits, or experiences that reduce it, such as good parenting or a positive sober support system. Overall, there is no single cause of addiction. Rather, there’s a combination of factors that can lead a person to becoming addicted to drugs or alcohol.

What happens when you stop taking a drug?

What happens when you stop taking a drug will depend upon what type of substance you were using, how much, and long you have been using. If you are using a substance that does not cause dependence or withdrawal, like hallucinogens or inhalants, then nothing may happen. If you are using a substance(s) that causes dependence, then you may develop withdrawal symptoms within hours or days of stopping. 

Substances that cause withdrawal include:

• Alcohol

• Nicotine

• Cannabis/marijuana

• Opioids like heroin and prescription painkillers

• Benzodiazepines

• Stimulants like cocaine

Cravings are also common when stopping a drug or alcohol. They can last for days, weeks, months, or even years, depending on the person. They can also range in intensity from mild to severe. Cravings are uncomfortable. If not dealt with properly, they can sometimes lead to relapse. That is why taking steps to manage your cravings is so important in early recovery.

How long do withdrawal symptoms last?

The length of time that you might experience withdrawal depends upon a number of factors, including: 

• The type of drug you are using

• How much

• How long you have been using

• Whether you are stopping cold turkey or gradually tapering

If you have been using a substance for a long period of time and are using large amounts, then your withdrawal symptoms may last longer.

Your withdrawal timeline will depend largely on what substance(s) you are using. Each substance affects the body in different ways. Common withdrawal timelines include:

• Alcohol: 5 to 7 days

• Cannabis/marijuana: 5 days

• Opioids: 4 to 10 days

• Benzodiazepines: 1 to 4 weeks (depending upon how they are tapered)

• Cocaine and other stimulants: 1 to 2 weeks

• Nicotine: 2 to 4 weeks

Can withdrawal symptoms last for months?

Acute withdrawal symptoms typically start within hours or days of stopping a substance and usually last for several days or weeks, depending upon the specific substance. 

But some people may experience protracted withdrawal, which happens when a person continues to experience certain withdrawal symptoms past the typical withdrawal timeline. 

Symptoms of protracted withdrawal include:

• Anxiety

• Irritability

• Depression

• Insomnia

• Poor concentration

• Fatigue

• Cravings

Not everyone experiences protracted withdrawal. For those who do, the length of time that you experience symptoms may vary. Continuing to experience protracted withdrawal symptoms for months can be upsetting. If you are suffering, speak to your healthcare provider or therapist about treatment options, like medications to alleviate symptoms and therapy to help you cope.

Is there such a thing as an addictive personality?

The concept of an addictive personality refers to the idea that people who develop addictions share similar personality traits that can lead to other addictions. According to this idea, if a person recovers from one addiction like alcohol, they are at high risk of developing other addictions, like gambling. However, research has shown that the concept of an addictive personality is a myth. There are no universal personality traits that are found among people with addictions. 

How do you stop being addicted to something?

Many people in the recovery community feel that you can never really stop being addicted to drugs or alcohol, since cravings can continue to challenge you years after your last drink or drug. Though your addiction may never go away, you can take steps to maintain your sobriety so that you can live a life free of drugs and alcohol.

To begin the process of breaking an addiction habit, take the following steps.

Acknowledge the problem

Admitting that you have an addiction is the first step to getting better. If you show signs of an addiction and/or have had other people in your life express concerns, then saying it out loud can be empowering. Once you acknowledge that you have a problem with drugs and/or alcohol, you can start taking action to help yourself.

Use tools to manage your cravings

Cravings, or strong urges to use drugs or drink, are a common sign of addiction. Cravings can feel overwhelming and powerful in the moment, but you can gain control over them. It can be helpful to remember that cravings are just a feeling. Though they can feel intense, they cannot force you to act on them. 

Urge surfing is one tool for managing cravings that involves giving yourself time to ride out the craving, just like you would while surfing. Like a wave, cravings will hit a peak of intensity and then gradually subside. Forcing yourself to do a distracting activity, like exercising, reading, or watching television, can help you ride out the craving until the intensity has passed.

Connect with sober support

Addiction self-help groups provide an opportunity to connect with other people in recovery. The most popular addiction recovery groups include Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and SMART Recovery. While each group is slightly different in its approach, common characteristics of addiction recovery groups include:

• They’re free.

• They’re facilitated by a peer in recovery.

• They’re available in person and online.

• They focus on achieving abstinence from drugs and alcohol.

Research on these groups suggest that they are helpful in maintaining abstinence. Many people in early recovery are nervous or skeptical about attending self-help groups. You can consider bringing a friend or family member to an open meeting if you are apprehensive about going alone at first. Many people feel nervous in the beginning, but they quickly grow comfortable.

Know when to get help

Some people struggle to overcome addictions on their own and need treatment to recover. If you have tried to get sober in the past and have been unsuccessful, think about getting professional help. You can start by speaking with your healthcare provider or contacting SAMHSA’s National Helpline for more information about treatment options.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Emily Guarnotta, PsyD

Emily Guarnotta, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and certified perinatal mental health professional with over 10 years of clinical experience.

Reviewed by:

Katie E. Golden, MD

Katie E. Golden, MD, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and a medical editor at GoodRx.

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