Drug addiction always comes to an end, it’s best to be alive when that happens.
If you or a loved one has become addicted to alcohol or other drugs you’ll have firsthand knowledge of the problems it creates. Because drug addiction is about a mental obsession and physical compulsion to keep on using drugs every area of life is negatively affected.
It’s interesting to note that most drug addicts are forced into treatment centres by some external pressure and that this pressure can actually enhance rehab’s effectiveness. Drug addiction robs people of their moral compass and they find themselves behaving in ways they know to be wrong. Many addicts end up in jails or mental hospitals and others die from this illness.
Some people talk about a rock bottom as being the point where you feel that you are not prepared to let your addiction get worse. Drug addiction is a progressive illness and will carry on getting worse until eventually you are stopped by external forces like family and friends forcing you into treatment or jail, mental institutions or death happen. A rock bottom is therefore the point where you decide that “enough is enough” and you’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that your drug addiction does not advance further.
Rock bottom is a subjective measure of the severity of the illness. For some people their rock bottom is nothing short of an absolute disaster. Other people will be fortunate enough to decide that they have had enough of drug addiction before it progresses to this point.
Turning your life around with drug addiction treatment is an opportunity to evaluate your life, look at how you want to live and then take steps to reach that point. Socrates, the famous Greek philosopher, once noted that “a life unexamined is a life not worth living”. Drug addicts in recovery sometimes express gratitude for the chance to examine and choose how to live their lives.
So what exactly does recovery from drug addiction bring?
For a start the unmanageable lifestyle associated with alcohol and drug use starts to improve. Drug addiction compels addicts to use an excess of drugs. This can be an expensive habit to maintain. It is very difficult to maintain a good job while in the grip of this disease and so money is often very tight for addicts. They may resort to criminal behaviour to support their drug use.
By living in recovery after drug addiction treatment the addict can make changes in behaviour and turn his/her life around. Addicts in recovery experience a sense of peace for the first time in their lives. Addiction rehab frees patients from the trap that forces the addict into a cycle of compulsively seeking and using drugs.
After being clean from drug addiction for a while addicts come to terms with their past behaviour. The recovery program guides addicts through a process of examining their past and making amends for their destructive behaviour. This helps relieve the burden of shame and allows addicts to rejoin society as equal members.
Family relationships improve as a result of getting treatment for drug addiction. When the unpleasant behaviour associated with addictive drug use stops the family starts to trust the addict again. Furthermore the addict will have learned to deal with his/her emotions properly and so will be able to express needs appropriately.
Addicts in recovery from drug addiction will enjoy improved physical health, psychological well-being, social relationships and spiritual experiences. They really have turned their entire lives around – in all areas.
We can see that turning your life around with drug addiction treatment involves more than just stopping using drugs. It’s about learning to live in a new way with new behaviours and new attitudes. The drug detox is really just the beginning of the exciting journey of recovery.
If you would like advice in choosing a drug rehab option please contact one of our treatment cordinators. Our independent, expert counsellors will guide you in complete confidence towards the option that is best for you.