We all have certain assumptions (fueled by pop culture) when it comes to addiction and recovery. At the heart of this story is a pivotal moment, a “rock bottom” where the addict can no longer hide behind denial and has to face the reality of the situation that they’ve driven themselves to, whether that’s losing their child, being put in jail, or going to amoral and drastic measures to obtain the object of their addiction.
While “rock bottom” makes a dramatic story, the truth is that recovering addicts’ stories usually look rather different. Although a dramatic story doesn’t seem like a very harmful thing, we believe that this “rock bottom” myth can actually cause a lot of grief in the lives of addicts and their loved ones.
Unfortunately, many people who love and care for individuals who are struggling with addiction can hit a certain point where they decide to withdraw support and connection, hoping to speed up this “rock bottom” moment and thus enable a turn-around. Additionally, many struggling with addiction can wallow in denial, telling themselves that the addiction doesn’t need to be taken care of, that it doesn’t warrant professional help, because after all, they’re not THAT bad.
Well, we can give you a few reasons NOT to wait for (or precipitate) rock bottom:
Addiction Recovery Has a Better Chance When You’re Connected and Functional
Recent studies are showing us more and more that an essential part of addiction recovery is connection. The standard picture of an addict is an individual who has been cut off from friends and family who genuinely care about him or her, is out of work, and whose only interpersonal contact is with fellow users, dealers, and maybe law enforcement now and then. However, many people who struggle with addiction still hold a job, still interact with good friends and family, but lie about the effect that their addiction is having. Addiction can still be scary and harmful, and when people in this situation seek out addiction recovery , they have a much higher success rate, thanks to the connections and responsibilities that they want to foster and rise up to.
Don’t Wait
You might not consider yourself in danger of incarceration, or an OD. You might not be sleeping in a drug den surrounded by false friends that you don’t know or care about. Your life might look alright, in fact. But if you’re dependent on a substance, you’re suffering consequences that you should be free from. Addiction keeps us from becoming the friend, parent, employee, and citizen that we want to become. Addiction robs us of health and limits our choices more and more as time goes by.
Many Addicts Seeking Recovery have Unexpected “Clarity” Moments
The moment that drives an addict to seek out recovery looks different for everyone. It might be a conversation with your doctor about health concerns. It could be realizing that you missed your child’s baseball game again because you chose a substance over someone you love. It could be words you read, something someone says to you, or a moment when you decide to set some new goals for yourself.
If you’re looking for an excuse to find help for your addiction, consider this is. Take action today!