We hear a lot about the plight of drug addicts in the news. We hear about how drugs or alcohol have devastated their lives. We also get the occasional bad news about the unfortunate drug users who end up losing their lives to a drug overdose.
If you are dealing with an addiction issue, you are likely living in a vicious cycle of substance abuse. If you are not sure, take a look at these typical symptoms generally associated with addiction:
- Increasing difficulty trying to manage personal responsibilities like paying bills and cleaning the house
- Difficulty handling responsibilities at work or school
- Tendency to withdraw from things that used to give joy and pleasure
- Runs ins with law enforcement for criminal activity or DUI violations
- Constant need to find drugs or the money to buy drugs
- Unkempt personal appearance
If anything on this list causes you to think you might have a problem, pay attention to what you are thinking. If you don’t, you will find out soon enough exactly what addicts experience before they go into treatment.
Addiction usually starts with a little experimentation or the misuse of prescription medications. Once the body builds up a dependence on the user’s substance of choice, the potential for a full-blown addiction is not far away.
By the time the cycle of addiction sets in, the addict’s life will usually start to fall apart. In the next section, we will discuss what those last few days are like for an addict before they head into rehab.
What do addicts experience before they start treatment
As the addict’s addiction progresses, they start to shows signs that everything is not okay in their lives. Many of them will show almost all the aforementioned signs of addiction.
There are some addicts who will get tired of the destructive cycle they find themselves in before they reach rock bottom. Those are the lucky addicts. Far too often, addicts have to reach devastating depths before they finally have to get treatment.
At the lowest point in their lives, addicts report feelings of sadness, depression, and desperation. Many of them have lost relationships and feel isolated. The cycle of addiction towards the end only changes because the addict is always having to use more drugs or alcohol to get the high they desire. Literally, everything feels like it is spiraling out of control.
Finally, there’s this moment of clarity. The addict gets hit with the realization that if they don’t put a stop to their addictive behavior, they might lose themselves forever. Here are some of the things that drive addicts to finally surrender:
- Loss of a spouse or important relationship
- Legal issues
- Financial issues
- Health issues that threaten their lives
- A loved one or friend intevenes
- Personal tragedy occurs
Here’s the thing. You don’t have to wait for any of these bad things to happen. You can get off the addiction train at any point. Yes, it’s very difficult to admit you have a problem. Pride might make it difficult to ask for help. Still, nothing is going to stop your addiction but you. It’s this surrender that is usually the last thing addicts experience before they seek treatment.
For a lot of people, getting into a rehab facility represents an opportunity to get help and rest. Yes, addiction sufferers are usually very tired by the time they enter treatment.
Over the next 30 to 90 days after entering rehab, addicts get the opportunity to learn the truth about their addiction. They also get the opportunity to learn how to better cope with the triggers that so often drive them to abuse drugs or alcohol. At the end of all of this comes some really good news. After doing the work and establishing a strong recovery, the recovered addict never again has to experiemnce the horrible things they experienced while in the throes of their substance abuse.
Our goal with this writing was to help you recognize what you might be facing if you don’t capitulate and ask for help. When you are ready to ask for help, we would very much like to be the ones who give you that help. For more information about our addiction treatment services and rehab facility, we would like to encourage you to contact one of our staff members at the following number, 833-610-1174.