Near anyone that has struggled or is struggling with addiction will find that he/she has placed obstacles in his/her path to getting help. These reasons to avoid checking into an inpatient drug and alcohol rehab may even seem legitimate. Addiction has been described as an illness of the mind, and to say it clouds good judgment is a severe understatement. This corrupt thought process places many mental obstacles to treatment in the way of getting well.
To begin to straighten out our lives, we have to surrender to the fact that drugs and alcohol are killing us and there is no good reason for not getting help.
Some of the most common reasons that people don’t get help are money issues, family problems, and/or employment concerns. We tell ourselves that we have to earn money to provide for our loved ones. This is usually the time period when we as addicts/alcoholics try every other possible way of managing or quitting our using. We make promise after promise to our family members that this won’t happen anymore. Many times our loved ones have begged us to go to a treatment center, for them to only succumb to our manipulative techniques and give us another chance. When someone is using these reasons for not getting help, it is imperative that they clearly understand what they stand to lose. The addict/alcoholic needs to know they are not going to have a family, money, or job to go to if they continue to use. It must be pointed out in black and white how progressive this illness has gotten for them; no evidence exists that this is going to get better without professional help.
Next we come to that word we hear all the time in recovery — denial. Of all the obstacles in someone’s way, denial can be the hardest to overcome. When someone is in denial they don’t think they have a problem. With all the adverse consequences going on in their lives the last thing they equate it to is their substance use. They cite family, jobs, and money as reasons as to why they are ruining their lives. Many of us say that “if this or that would change, then I could change.” Addiction is a disease of more. More of anything is better…and when we have more of what we want, guess what we need? MORE!!
Clearbrook is an organization battling alcoholism and drug addiction by focusing on the solution. We have stepped in thousands of times to assist the families and employers of the addicted to give up their own ideas and schemes of fixing their lives. No person or family should have to battle this along.
There is hope, and we can help!
