As an addict myself, I can say that getting sober wasn’t easy. The first couple of times I went to treatment was under threat from my parents, they said I wouldn’t be allowed to live with them anymore if I didn’t go to rehab. So, I went, but staying sober never lasted very long. Fast forward several more treatment attempts later, and my reasons for being there started to shift. Things had gotten bad for me. Really bad. Now I was in treatment because I had hit rock bottom and was desperate to get my life back. So, I would go, do my two or three months in treatment, get my health back, start to feel great, and within 6-8 months was using again.
So, what happened? The answer isn’t entirely simple. Let me explain.
My Experience
I’m the type of guy who likes to push limits. This has been something going on my entire life, and I suspect it played a role in my addiction from the start. Most of my fellow addicts and alcoholics tend to identify with me on this. We always want more, bigger, better. As addicts I think it’s just how we’re wired. I’m never satisfied by taking someone’s word for it either. I need to find out for myself, even if it means potentially disastrous consequences.
So, I would get sober and my life would begin to turn around, but I would forget where pushing the limits had gotten me before. The first few times I sobered up I was young and naive, and really didn’t know much about recovery. My drug of choice was Vicodin and Percocet, so I figured as long as I don’t touch those, it would be all good. A few drinks and blunts later and it wasn’t all good, at all. Do not pass go, return directly back to treatment.
You would think after repeating the same cycle again and again for years, I would have gotten “it” sooner. I have a knack for thinking that things will turn out differently in nearly identical, repeat situations. Case in point, I must have thought trying a new “safer” substance was ok five to seven times before I realized, “maybe this is a bad idea.” Doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result, is the very definition of insanity.
I could have saved myself years of pain and suffering, had I just listened to what my peers and loved ones were telling me. So, the moral of the story is, if you identify with anything I’ve had to say, it’s probably a good idea to stay away from any mind or mood-altering substances. You don’t have to make the same mistakes I did. Letting your guard down, even for a second to addiction, can lead you back down a dark and lonely path. A path that becomes harder and harder to break free from each and every time.
Reach Out
If you or a love one has and addiction to drugs and/or alcohol, and want to get on the road to recovery, Royal Life Centers is the place for you. We are a premier substance abuse treatment center, with years of experience helping people beat their addiction, once and for all. Don’t wait any longer. Call our 24-hour admissions line and speak with one of our specialists, who will answer any questions and discuss your treatment options at (877)-732-6837 or (877)-RECOVERY. Because We Care.
