Should you be battling with alcohol or drug addiction, you can essentially do one of two things to come clean or get sober. You can look to go it alone by trying to overcome your addiction by yourself – or alternatively ask for help and get professional treatment.
Now going it alone is not something I suggest you consider doing if at all possible. There is just too much at stake. Your life – or the life of a loved one.
I think there are two primary reasons though that people look at try to overcome an addiction by themselves. The first one is the shame of effectively ‘coming out’ or ‘going public.’ I think there is a stigma attached to admitting an addiction so many people try all they can to cover it up and would rather die than admit to having a problem.
Don’t believe that for a second though. There is no shame in admitting to an addiction to alcohol or drugs. Tens of millions of people struggle with addiction. It is now medically regarded as a disease after all. Any more importantly – by taking ownership of your problem, you’ve taken the most important step to coming clean. Because without doing that, you’d just be living in denial – and then you’d have no chance.
The other and 2nd major reason many addicts don’t get professional treatment is the thought that because of the costs involved – that getting treatment is simply not realistic. Yes – some forms of treatment are expensive, but you do also get many other kinds that are accessible and affordable to almost everyone.
Let’s say you had cancer for example? Would you be looking to beat that yourself? Yes I know there are people you may have read about who have actually done that – but if there is help available, why not make use of it?
My first suggestion then would always be that you always try and get yourself into a drug or alcohol treatment center. It may involves doing some investigation and research to find one that is right for you and in close enough proximity (if you’re concerned about the costs) – but there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to make it happen. It was certainly the best thing I did in helping me sort my life out.
Getting yourself into proper treatment also allows you to meet other people going through what you are. And so you realise you’re not alone and the sense of isolation you experienced suddenly disappears. Even though treatment only represents the start of you overcoming your addictions and building a new life for yourself (and it’s important you remember that) – it does provide you with the best possible opportunity to getting your life on track and making a fresh start.