Common myths about addiction

Someone’s happy place –

Sep. 16, 2020 – An addict or alcoholic must hit “rock bottom” if they are going to recover.

I asked one local counselor to explain “rock bottom” to me. She said “You hit your rock bottom when you quit digging.” One man I spoke with realized in his teens that when he drank he wanted more and that he always had some sort of negative consequence when he drank. Now in his fifties, he has not had a drink since.

For the vast majority of people addicted, it seems there has to be some “consequence” of their behavior that is severe enough to motivate them to seek help. Unfortunately, for a very high percentage their addiction progresses to the point where their tolerance for the pain and consequences of addiction exceeds the threshold of death.

Compounding this issue is that one of the most common symptoms of addiction is that the addiction itself tells the one suffering that “they don’t have a problem.” It seems that little progress can be made with anyone addicted until this bubble of self-deceit is burst. And people of all types recover from all types of addictions on a regular basis, so there is no truly valid excuses for not being able to quit. However, it is very rare for someone to “get sober on their own.” Addiction’s tentacles grasp one’s mind, body and soul and without outside help there seems to be little chance of recovery.