5 Poor Excuses Not to Get Treatment for Addiction
Not getting treatment for addiction is a very poor and irresponsible decision. Alcoholism ranks as the third leading lifestyle- related cause of death, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Within any given year, as many as 80,000 people die from alcohol abuse disorders. On average, each death represents 30 years of life lost for each person affected. Considering the ever-worsening drug epidemic taking place in the U. S., alcohol’s numbers will soon pale in comparison.
For someone struggling with an addiction problem, entering drug treatment may be the last thing he or she wants to do. On the other hand, not doing anything will only result in further frustration and heartache. As with any new endeavor, people have doubts about what addiction treatment is all about, which naturally gives rise to excuses for not going.
When it comes down to it, most any excuse carries little weight in light of addiction’s deteriorating effects on a person’s brain and body. If you or someone you know is on the fence about whether to get treatment, here are five “poor” excuses not to –
1. “I’m only happy when I’m using.”
Thinking that you will be alone and with nothing to look forward to if you enter addiction treatment is wrong.
For someone who’s used drugs for a while, the “high” effects are nowhere close to what they used to be. Over time, the brain develops a tolerance to a drug’s effects to the point where users steadily increase their dosage amounts in search of the desired effects. After a while, no amount of the drug will produce a “high” effect at which point the expectation or memory of the “high” is all the happiness a person has.
2. “I’ll be all by myself and won’t know anyone there.”
Long-term drug use tends to breed feelings of anxiety, especially when surrounded by people you don’t know. In an addiction treatment program, most everyone is coming from the same place in terms of feeling uncomfortable and out of place. People trying to recover from addiction naturally form close bonds as they work together to break the hold of addiction in their lives.
3. “All my friends use drugs. I’ll have no one to hang out with.”
By the time addicts reach the point where they’re considering addiction treatment, the negative effects of drug use have been felt in one way or another. While drug use tends to bring together “like-minded” people, the negative effects of drugs will only get worse with continued use. As a person progresses through addiction recovery, he or she makes new friends who share similar experiences, goals and priorities.
4. “I’ll have nothing to look forward to during the day if I give up drugs.”
Drug addiction has a way of replacing a person’s former priorities, such as work, family, friends and relationships with the prospect of getting and using drugs. When drugs become “the” priority in life, a person gradually loses touch with his or her identity and sense of purpose. Addiction treatment helps recovering addicts regain a sense of self and purpose in life.
5. “I’m dealing with other medical/psychological problems. How will that work?”
Part of the addiction treatment process entails addressing any and all conditions that contribute to a person’s addictive behaviors. People affected by medical and/or psychological problem related to drug use receive needed medical and/or psychotherapy treatment help.