Although it may sound like a cliche, the day you realize you’re an addict is the day you take your first step on the road to recovery. While many books and movies portray sobriety as something you will succeed at if you do it alone, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Trying to get sober on your own can be very difficult, not to mention dangerous. You could suffer a relapse if you go it alone, especially if you don’t know what steps to take. In order to overcome addiction, the best thing to do is to join a treatment program. Look for a rehabilitation center in your area. Such centers usually offer treatment programs designed to help addicts become sober.
Because of early 2000s pop culture and the influence of the press, there’s a certain stigma that comes with going to rehab. That can discourage real addicts from seeking help. The decision to go to rehab to overcome addiction is a big one. Not only will you have to spend time away from your loved ones, but you’ll have to spend a significant amount of money on your treatments as well. There’s also the fact that people will look at you in a different way if and when they find out where you’re going. Despite all of these, here’s one thing you have to remember if you’re trying to decide whether to go to rehab or not: it’s about you and your road to recovery. No matter what they do or say, other people have nothing to do with it.
The best way to approach such a decision is to focus on why you’re thinking about going to rehab in the first place. Ignore your tendency to give in to what other people might do, say, or think if you do go to rehab. Think about what would be best for you. Besides, contrary to popular belief, more people are becoming open to the idea of seeking help for issues like addiction and depression, so you really don’t have to worry about anything else except your personal struggles.
Why you shouldn’t go it alone
There are two main reasons why going through the recovery process is something you shouldn’t attempt on your own. For one thing, you can’t guarantee that you can get through detox all by yourself because addiction makes you dependent. For another, you’ll need someone to help you map out the entire process. There’s a lot more to getting sober than just kicking the habit.
When you go to detox at a rehabilitation center, a professional will be able to guide you through the process and teach you how to handle the cravings or withdrawal symptoms. Not having someone around when you try to detox can make the whole process very unpleasant, especially if you’re trying to quit cold turkey. Your anxiety and stress levels can shoot up, causing you to do dangerous things. For example, an addiction to alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, and other things may cause you to lose control of your emotions. You may experience fits of anger that may result in you harming others or yourself.
Here are some things you need to consider while trying to get sober, all of which prove why you shouldn’t try to handle the process on your own:
● The severity of your addiction
● The substance you were addicted to
● The presence of co-occurring disorders
● Family environment and social circles
How going to rehab can help you overcome addiction
With different types of treatments, such as monitored alcohol or drug detox, group and individual therapy, long-term wellness programs, and relapse prevention, going to rehab is the safest and most effective way to help you overcome your addiction. Thanks to specially-designed programs and attentive professionals who have your best interests in mind, going to rehab can save your life.
