You’ve probably seen people that check back into treatment centers after undergoing treatment. Some even die from addiction or related causes. This prompts many people to wonder what really goes wrong with such individuals. Well, addiction is a chronic illness, just like asthma, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Its management requires a person to embrace a healthy lifestyle. Some people need to see their doctors regularly and even keep changing their treatment plans to overcome addiction.
Relapse should not be seen as a failure when a person decides to start a new, healthy life without addiction. Actually, relapse is a natural part of the recovery process. And, undergoing successful treatment in a rehab center doesn’t mean a person can’t relapse. Recovery from addiction is a lifelong journey. As such, it requires a lifetime plan. This plan should highlight problems that can arise when starting a new lifestyle without addiction and ways to overcome them.
When a person that is starting a new, healthy life without addictions feels like they can break loose, it’s advisable to call an AddictionResource addiction help hotline. These hotlines are manned by representatives that always find the right words to help individuals anytime. They are friendly and experienced professionals that know how to guide individuals in their recovery journey. In addition to calling these hotlines, some individuals require motivation to seek treatment or maintain sobriety.
Mental Health and Inside Struggles
Alcohol and drugs have psychological effects on users. They also take a toll on the societies where the addicts live. Research indicates that many individuals in addiction recovery suffer from chronic physical diseases. Some have medical conditions that relate to mental health. There are also recovering addicts that suffer the physical effects of continued use of alcohol or addictive substances even after undergoing treatment for addiction.
An individual can call a drug addict help hotline number seeking help with a mental condition that was caused by addiction. Some mental health conditions like depression, stress, and anxiety can be caused or cause addiction. Inside struggles like rejection and financial troubles can prompt individuals to start using drugs or relapse. If such challenges are not addressed, they can keep troubling an individual even after undergoing treatment for addiction successfully.
Nevertheless, it’s possible for recovering addicts to lead healthy lives from inside. They just need motivation which can be internal or external.
Self-Motivation
The self-motivation to stay sober after undergoing treatment is very important. When you think about your motivation to maintain sobriety, don’t disrespect or criticize yourself or let other people do. Research has shown that motivation is a prerequisite for addiction treatment. Without motivation, there is little a clinician can do to convince the patient to change.
Self-motivation works better when the person recovering from addiction realizes that life has more precious things to offer than addiction. This can be a job, a child, a personal value like dignity or even life itself. This realization alone can be the source of motivation for some recovering addicts. Though it might not work for everyone, hitting rock bottom can mean getting to a point where a person has to make a choice between something of personal importance and addiction.
Leverage
This is a form of external motivation that forces a person to lead a healthy life from inside. Leverage is when circumstances create choices that are similar to hitting rock bottom. It can be an employee or a boss counselor that makes it clear that an individual has to get help or be relieved of their duties. It can also be a family that is tired of trying to convince a person to seek help but they are not motivated to do so. They could be tired of calling rehab numbers trying to get help for their loved one but they are just not ready to be assisted. For that reason, they may decide to let them go on their own.
Again, a crystal clear choice has to be made and consequences can be fully credible. Without doing this, the addicted loved one will continue to abuse drugs or alcohol hoping that other people in their life won’t keep their word. When consequences are stated clearly and made believable they present a real choice.
It’s important to note that only an addict can decide to change and they can do it even without external help. Nevertheless, it’s possible to leverage external forces to lead a healthy life from inside. The brain of an addict can think it’s possible to outsmart treatment. However, the experience that comes with treatment has a positive effect on the life of an addict.
Seduction
A person with a substance abuse problem can call a drug helpline because they don’t have somebody to talk to. Finding somebody that is ready to listen to them can be a reason to lead a healthy life. Generally, addictions ruin relationships. Seduction is a form of motivation to lead a healthy life where a person is told the truth and allowed to go if they can’t change.
It entails dropping information without waiting to see results or get feedback. It’s like telling the addict that if they can’t change, things will get worse till they decide to get assistance. And they should let you know if they change their mind. The aloofness that ensues shows that the person is not ready to sweet-talk the addict or wait for their response. Though the person cares, they choose to detach in a loving way.
This motivates a person to quit or seek help because humans need connection naturally. A person makes this motivation work without threatening or preaching. It’s like telling the addict that if they need connection, they have to work on their addiction.
The Bottom Line
Individuals with active addiction and those recovering need the motivation to seek treatment and lead a healthy life from inside after undergoing treatment. Even after receiving treatment, recovering addicts face challenges trying to live without alcohol or addictive substances. As such, they need motivation. This motivation can come from external sources or from within. Calling a drug hotline is one of the ways a person can get motivation and lead a healthy life from inside. That’s because the professionals that answer their calls know the right words to help callers with addiction-related problems.
Photo credit: Ihor Malytskyi
