Seeking treatment is the first, but most important, step in battling addiction. The most important issue in life is your health and wellbeing, and for many, this may include getting help to be on the path towards the goal of sobriety. However, going at it by yourself can have more pitfalls and left turns than most people can expect or handle. There are many layers to addiction and simply quitting is not enough to accomplish sobriety – especially long term sobriety. Keep reading to find out why it is so hard to quit by yourself, and the safest and best way to quit your addiction for good.
Why is it So Hard to Quit By Yourself?: It Takes More Than Willpower
Addiction is a medical condition that requires alcohol abuse treatment centers. You wouldn’t battle cancer or manage diabetes without medical treatment and guidance and, as such, addiction should be handled in the same regard. Your overall well-being is reliant on creating a lifestyle of sobriety — it’s the most important decision you have to make.
During addiction, the brain becomes chemically rewired to require substances. It becomes less about willpower and more about learning new skills. It is very common in addiction treatment to help clients rewire the brain away from cravings and create new ways for them to cope and manage their addiction.
It’s almost impossible to quit alone and can be dangerous with debilitating withdrawal symptoms and their accompanying relapse rates. After time away from active addiction, it becomes more likely to have an overdose because the body’s resistance to the drug has weakened. Relapse is most likely to happen during the withdrawal symptoms phase and, without professional help, relapse is very likely.
The fear of withdrawal is also another mitigating factor on why people break off their attempts to get and stay sober. Medicated detox and therapy are able to alleviate the symptoms from withdrawal, reduce cravings, and can greatly help the beginning steps of sobriety. This combined with therapy, physical and mental activities can increase the ability for staying away from drug abuse.
Triggers Require Therapy to Overcome
There are things that can trigger an addict to use as the brain gets wired to seek out substances when it feels them. An addict needs to learn the tools required to be able to overcome triggers. Identifying what the triggers are and how to safely overcome them is essential in long-term sobriety, which can’t be learned alone without therapy and professional guidance.
Everyone is different, and every client will need to find what works best for them. Working with our counselors and ensuring the best possible treatment path can best keep you from using.
Underlying Causes
Addiction is almost never a standalone condition. There is usually an underlying cause that is bringing it up, such as mental health conditions. Mental health conditions can worsen addiction, whether diagnosed or undiagnosed.
Some examples of underlying mental health conditions include:
- PTSD
- Depression
- Anxiety
- History of abuse
- History of suicidal thoughts
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar disorder
Realizing the underlying cause can be very hard to visualize on your own, and understanding what caused these are fundamental in staying sober. In order to successfully tackle addiction and the underlying condition, they need to be treated together with dual diagnosis treatment. They exacerbate each other, which means that simply getting sober from substances isn’t enough for long-term recovery from addiction.
This is especially hard to deal with on your own. As you’re dealing with one and believing you’re on the right track, the other can flare up which could lead to a deadly overdose. There’s no standard blueprint for sobriety. It’s a very individual experience and having trained professionals to guide them in the right direction is what gets most people to a long-term clean lifestyle.
Recovery Requires Ongoing Care
Going to luxury alcohol rehab and becoming sober isn’t the end of the road. It requires ongoing effort and aftercare. This, for many, can be a lifelong struggle. However, it is worth the rewards. Having a healthy and happy lifestyle is the goal, and gaining the tools to identify issues that cause relapses and keep you on that journey of a better life is the only way. Addiction doesn’t have to define you; there are ways to get sober and there are trained professionals ready to help you.
About Seasons in Malibu
Treatment at Seasons in Malibu is systemic, integrative, and client-centered. Our philosophy is grounded in the understanding that in order for the client to heal, the entire system needs the opportunity to heal along with them. The pressure to “fix” the client can become overwhelming and unrealistic if we do not examine the underlying issues, dynamics, and environmental influences that might be contributing to substance abuse or ongoing mental health issues. Whenever practical, we try to include close loved ones in sessions and in the entire process at our Malibu recovery center from addiction and/or addressing mental health issues.
We firmly believe that healthfulness and mental wellness are intrinsically connected. Up until recently, the importance of mental health in terms of one’s fitness has been woefully under-recognized. Thankfully, the value of mental health facilities has been increasingly recognized by health providers, as well as the legislatures who govern laws pertaining to access to health care.
One of the challenges that are somewhat unique to mental illness is that people suffering from it are often able to hide their symptoms from others. What often happens as a result of this is that an untreated mentally unwell person is ultimately sidelined by their illness. Unfortunately, despite gains in access to mental healthcare, issues of mental health are often still maligned in society, and many individuals feel shame around their illness. This shame frequently leads to apprehension around seeking help. The fear of being labeled as “unwell,” or derided for perceived weakness can also prevent mentally ill people from being open about the issues they’re facing.
