As very often happens, a person with an alcohol or drug problem, but more especially their family and close friends, may not realize that there is a problem and drug rehab should be considered until it is too late. “Too late” does not mean there is not hope for the sufferer. It only means that the addiction has the upper hand and the addict no longer has a choice in the matter.
However, do not fool yourself into thinking that just because you don’t have an addiction that what you are consuming cannot cause you harm. Take note of the sad story of Karen Quinlan, an innocent girl who simply took a Valium while drinking and ended up in a coma for 20 years before her family finally unhooked the life support. Any drug can kill instantly with the right–or wrong, in this case–person’s chemistry and the wrong mixture of chemicals, no matter the dosage. (Alcohol is also a chemical, a drug, for the record. Anything that alters your mind is a drug.)
If you feel that you DO have a problem with drugs or alcohol, the first thing you should understand is that there is nothing for you to be ashamed of by asking for help or checking yourself into a drug rehab center. As you have probably heard, the majority of cases of addiction are hereditary, as well as many mental illnesses, which is often the catalyst that leads to drug or alcohol abuse. A person with a chemical imbalance in the brain often finds relief from their anxiety and pain in alcohol or drugs. If you interviewed ten homeless drug addicts or alcoholics, you can bet that seven of them are also mentally ill. Too bad a drug rehab program doesn’t cover mental illness. (But that’s fodder for another article.)
This article is for you, the addict. The first thing to do if you are reading this article and see yourself in the words is to admit to yourself that you have a problem. Now please don’t back off, thinking “next comes the twelve steps.” There aren’t going to be any. Though Alcoholics Anonymous and having a sponsor has helped millions of alcoholics and drug addicts maintain sobriety, that is not the only road to recovery from addiction. In fact, in the AA Big Book itself, there is a passage that states that if you are sincere you can become sober by yourself.
Each of us are unique individuals. Maybe your problem is meth, for instance. The good news for you is that there are rehab programs specific to a particular chemical. You can find a meth rehab to sign up with. Also, if your circumstances don’t allow you to go in for inpatient treatment like the celebrities all do, a drug rehab clinic can easily set you up for outpatient treatment. Whatever your situation, there is a program or organization that can help you. Say you can’t afford to go to rehab but you know you need to. There are rehab loans available through the government that you won’t have to pay back. These choices cover just about every excuse you can make for NOT going into rehab.
Good luck to you if have decided to reach out for help. Just remember that the outcomes of drug rehab are, like you, unique. If you truly want to get clean and sober, sobriety CAN be your outcome.