Addiction is unpredictable. Two people could use the same amount of the exact same substance and experience extremely different results. A person will never know the degree of their addiction until they are in the thick of it. Most times, once this realization has occurred, the addict is unable to do to anything about their issue without additional help. Why is it that once someone realizes they need help, they fail to get it? If you’ve decided it’s time to seek help but are having doubts about the detox process, this blog will help you try to understand those fears and cope with them accordingly.
Withdrawal and Physical Discomfort
The answer as to why addicts fail to seek treatment varies greatly. There are many factors that contribute to the reason a person will continue using, even knowing they have a problem. The pain of withdrawal symptoms alone are enough to keep someone hooked on a drug. Stopping long-term use can result in headaches, fever, nausea, vomiting, tremors, and in severe cases, seizures. Dealing with physical pain on top of the mental issues that accompany addiction can be an extremely intimidating, seemingly impossible feat. This is one of the major reasons why addicts have trouble shaking their habits: the discomfort of withdrawal paired with the reality of what your life has become can be too much to bear. Therefore, drug use is continued to keep these negative feelings at bay.
Yes, the process is physically tolling. You’ve read horror stories online about the agonies of detox and would rather not put yourself through those feelings. But what most addicts fail to do is research and understand how integral this step of the rehabilitation process truly is. Without detox, chances for full recovery are extremely low. This is the part of the process that cleanses your body of any remaining substances and toxins.
But when you’d rather not do something, it’s easy to find every reason in the book to convince yourself that you’re right in avoiding treatment. But this shouldn’t be the case when what you’re considering will change your life in huge ways, for the better. Focus on the positive testimonies and see how this process can put your life on an entirely new path, the same way it has for others.
Change
Change is another reason why addicts avoid detox. A hazy life ridden with alcohol, drugs, and other unhealthy habits might be all you know. Even though this reality is warped and unclear, it is still your reality. Even the most successful people become stressed at the idea of change, sober or not. The prospect of living a life where routine substance use is no longer a daily component can be frightening. But this is all the more reason to dig deeper and pinpoint what it is that you’re truly afraid of. Maybe you’re not afraid of change. Maybe you’re afraid of the results of those changes. Are you afraid to try and fail? Are you afraid of success and you’re your ability to maintain sobriety? Are you afraid of losing certain aspects of your old life?
Getting clean means that you will have to adapt to an entirely new way of life, and trying to picture that when you’re still so deep in your old one can seem like a faraway hope. So take things day by day: every little change you make will create a much greater, all-encompassing result in the end. Change is healthy, and the only way you can create a better life for yourself is to get rid of the bad habits that constituted your old one. Once you understand the reasons behind your fear, it becomes much easier to confront the process head-on.
Loss of a Coping Mechanism
In many addiction cases, drugs and alcohol are used as an anecdote for pain and negative emotions. Once a person is clean, that crutch is gone and they’ll have to deal with those feelings all by themselves. No high, no numbness, no masking. Being unable to de-stress in way you’ve become so familiar with is a daunting thought for addicts. How can I possibly deal with all of this sober?
But detox and rehabilitation professionals will teach you healthy methods to cope with the challenges that life presents. There are much more fulfilling ways to handle your problems than taking a quick hit or turning to the bottle for answers. Additionally, developing these coping mechanisms is much easier and more enjoyable that people think. Addiction is a coping mechanism in itself, and because addiction is such a negative condition, it is easy to associate any other coping mechanism with being just as unpleasant. Art therapy, exercise, yoga, cooking, and outdoor activity are all great alternatives if you’re experiencing a trigger.
The detoxification process is individually determined based on several factors: your drug of choice, method of use, duration of use, and the severity of your overall addiction. As we know, mental trauma plays an enormous part in healing our bodies, just as the state of our bodies plays a role in healing our minds. The detoxification process is the first step in cleansing your body, which will allow for the following mental therapies to be as effective as possible. Remember that physical pain is only temporary, and the only way to successfully reach sobriety is to confront these changes with will, determination, and heart.
Scottsdale Recovery Centers offers some of the most attentive addiction care in the country, and our mission is to make the entire rehabilitation process as comfortable for you as we can. We provide our patients with individualized programs and 24/7 assistance, so that you never feel alone throughout your time at our facility. Visit our website, or call us today for more information on what we can do for you. Let’s start this journey together.
