We’ve all seen it — Hollywood’s idea of what drug addiction looks like. Movie addicts are either dimensionless dregs of society, or they’re renowned artists who eventually transform into sobriety and never relapse. Even realistic attempts often show the addict spiraling down until they hit rock bottom and have a sudden awakening that they need help. In movie land, there is usually no ongoing struggle.
Alas, real life is not so simple.
The truth is that drug abuse and addiction affect people from virtually all demographics. In fact, the U.S. Surgeon General reports that over 20 million Americans engage in substance abuse each year. And if you’re like many people who are struggling with drug abuse, you probably won’t have a definitive “awakening” moment. Instead, it’s very likely that you are already “sober-curious”, that is, curious about becoming sober and pondering how your present life could be different. Many people in this category have attempted staying sober for short periods of time.
The good news is that if you’re reading this, your interest in overcoming addiction is becoming more than just a curiosity. Here are some of the things you should consider:
Substance Abuse Takes a Toll on Your Health
It’s very possible that you already know how substance abuse can negatively impact your personal and professional life, even in small ways. Perhaps you’ve already missed some important events or appointments, or you no longer feel as on top of work as you once did. But if that’s not reason enough to start thinking about getting sober, then you should at least be thinking about how it is affecting your health.
Each substance (drugs and alcohol) come with their own detrimental health effects, some more so than others. But the truth is that you can overdose on most things. Furthermore, even lighter drug and alcohol use can cause disrupted sleep patterns and insomnia, along with increased risk of cancer, heart disease and other serious illnesses.
Substance abuse also correlates strongly with mental health disorders like depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder (all of which can lead to serious physical health problems when left untreated). In fact, the National Institute of Drug Abuse reports that 1 in 4 individuals suffering from a mental illness also suffer from a substance use disorder. Making matters even worse, substance abuse often only worsens the symptoms of mental illness, leading to a vicious cycle of more abuse in an attempt to cope.
Benefits of Sobriety
The path to addiction recovery can be challenging, but it comes with great rewards. Not only will kicking the habit drastically improve your health, but getting sober will also leave more money in your pocket and enable you to spend more quality time with family and friends.
In fact, here are some of the key benefits that give many people that final push to get the help they need:
- Get a second chance – Many people leave addiction treatment feeling refreshed and better than they have in years, not to mention with a whole new perspective on life and what they want out of it.
- Adopt a healthy lifestyle – After you go through detox, your body will automatically begin repairing itself from the ravages of drug and/or alcohol abuse. Life in recovery is the perfect time to start focusing on your overall health, from eating a well-balanced diet to getting regular exercise.
- Stop wasting money – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reports that people struggling with addiction often spend between $100 and $1000 a month on their substance of choice, with many spending even more.
- Rebuild relationships – Chances are, some of your relationships with friends and family have suffered at least a little as a result of drug abuse. Addiction recovery is the perfect time to rebuild what you once had and even make entirely new connections.
- Discover new activities – Not only will you have more time to be active, but sobriety also opens up multiple new doors. Learn the joys of making art with a clear mind, take classes to learn new skills, volunteer, go explore local parks and nature, travel, pick up a sport, etc.
Misconceptions About Life in Recovery
There’s a common misconception that people who are sober are “boring” or don’t go out much. But nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, an increasing amount of restaurants are offering more non-alcoholic cocktail options while numerous social groups are launching outings that don’t revolve around drinking or drug abuse.
This is thanks to the increasing amount of people all over the country entering life in recovery or even dipping their sober-curious toes into short periods of sobriety. When you reach addiction recovery, you’ll have more options than ever!
Another big misconception is that people have to hit rock bottom or meet other kinds of severe requirements in order to be a candidate for addiction recovery. This isn’t true at all. Many people enter treatment and work towards long-term sobriety because they realize they are missing out on little things in life thanks to frequent drug abuse. Others go because they want to be healthier and more productive.
We’re Here to Help
Feeling sober-curious? We invite you to reach out to our team at Laguna View Detox. Our luxury program merges traditional time-tested methods with advanced modern therapies in order to help you reach sobriety and enter the life in recovery you deserve.