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Hitting rock bottom can happen to anyone, no one, no matter their status, wealth or occupation, everyone can get involved in drug abuse or become an alcoholic. There is simply no other way out than hard work. Finding some sort of inner strength to overcome substance abuse is the only way to climb out of a hole you’ve dug. Addicts will soon find their cognitive skills start to fade, and their once perfectly working brain, has slowed down thinking of solutions to problems is quite difficult. However you can regain your composure, the obstacles preventing optimum health and lead the life you’ve always wanted to lead, it’s time to start living for someone other than yourself. When you’re addicted, you become belligerent, and it’s always about ‘me, me, me’, rather than trying to make the people around you who care for you, also live a better life. You can be that person who leads by example, by helping those less fortunate than yourself, giving advice on how to cope. But, first you must go through a period of detoxification; in more ways than one.
Realise what you’ve become
You cannot move forward if you don’t know where you’re going. You can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve come from. It’s time to realise what you are, and owning up to being an addict is going to be both painful and liberating. Search for pictures of your old-self. When you were sober, happy and perhaps even as a child. Remind yourself, that you were once normal, and didn’t need to rely on drugs to get you through the day. Realize that there are people out there, family, friends and even strangers who care for you and to help you. But also, realise that you and you can truly enact the change in your life you so desperately need and want.
Cut to the chase
There’s absolutely no shame in admitting that you’re too weak to complete this journey on your own. You can try to help yourself by working on a few character building techniques, but as a sort of base of operations, professional help can become your rock. Many insurance plans have the ability to send you to a rehab clinic to get the help you need in a controlled and safe environment, so check if your policy covers the cost. In many cases, the barrier that’s stopping you from seeking treatment is their lack of knowledge about health insurance. Many are under the impression that you have to pay for it out of your own pocket. However, most of the time, this is not the case, so do the proper research, and you can free yourself up to find the best rehab center for you finally get back on the horse.
Make amends
You may have hurt somebody you love while you’re under the influence of drugs. Family and friends are often pushed away by addicts because they see them as a threat to their lifestyle of getting high and seeking pleasures. Addicts often feel like they’re being patronised or being told what to do. Now that you’re ready to come clean and live a better life, it can be very therapeutic to apologize to the people you wronged. You may have used them to fund your habit, rejected their friendship, or gotten into a verbal or physical fight with them. Go around to all these people who want to help you, and in a one on one conversation, make amends with them by apologising for how you treated them. You’ll find that most people are incredibly welcoming and forgiving. They will be encouraged by your actions and take you attempt at recovery seriously again. Thus, they too can be a source for help, when you start feeling like you’re going to relapse.
Returning to work
Thinking ahead can give your positive goals to reach, and thus give you stability and something to latch onto. Many treatment centers, companies or government institutions, offer recovering addicts a Return-to-Work Agreement (RTWA). This is a personally-written document that will outline what the employer demands from you in order for you to come back to work. After completing a program, your employer may be contacted by the rehab facility and inform them of how well you’ve done and recommend you going back to work. However, an employer will always want to be reassured that you can meet your work responsibilities and will not behave in a disorderly manner. You will most likely, have an interview with your employer as a personal assessment. This is all something you should be looking forward to; it’s a pathway back to living a clean and prosperous life.
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