1. Seeking Treatment for Overcoming Addiction
May 7, 2013
| Last Updated on Friday, 10 May, 2013 14:12
The decision to get clean certainly isn’t an easy one. Struggling for many years with low self-esteem
and a lack of appropriate coping skills has lead to years of abuse, and the misguided belief that you
can’t live without your vice. For many years, the truth about your addiction being completely in your
control has eluded you.
However, there is a light at the end of your substance-dependent tunnel. You may be unable to fund
your addiction anymore, or perhaps you’re not as affected by the drugs as you once were. You may
have even hit rock-bottom completely: lost your job, family, friends, etc. No matter the reason, you’ve
reached a point in your life where you are finally willing to accept that you do in fact have a problem.
Once you’ve acknowledged your problem, the most logical step is to get help, right?
“Often times addicts will push this crucial step onto the back-burner.”
Making a Connection
Minimizing your predicament and assuming that you can manage your addiction on your own deprives
you of the support system you would have had in accepting treatment as a part of your recovery. The
connections you make at fellowship meetings with other addicts and sponsors are extremely crucial to
your recovery and provide you with an extra set of ears to bounce ideas off of and voice concerns to. A
good support system is invaluable to a recovering addict, as they are often isolated because of their
drug use. This shows them that they are never truly alone.
Triggers for Relapse
Opting out of treatment also puts you at greater risk for a relapse. Undergoing treatment provides you
with a wealth of information, tips and strategies for coping with the things that initially triggered your
drug abuse. Oftentimes treatment centers are staffed with therapists, which help patients address the
root causes of their addictions. Without these individuals, you are missing the largest piece of your
addiction puzzle and are more likely to turn to drugs again due to unresolved issues. When treating
addiction, it is crucial to address any underlying issues as these are often major contributing factors to a
person’s substance abuse problem.
Finding Help
The most obvious (and constantly overlooked) reason for seeking substance abuse treatment is
yourself. Because of the low self esteem you’ve had throughout the years, you’ve been unable to see
that you are worth the help and deserve a better quality of life than you’ve been allowing for yourself.
This new-found insight you’ve gained through therapy and fellowship meetings will allow you to make
smarter choices in your life. These choices have somewhat of a domino effect: one positive choice
leads to another and so on. This increased sense of self will help you to better discourage potential drug
use in the future.