Even though addiction is destructive and debilitating for many of us, and one would think we’d want to be free of it as soon as possible, we nonetheless can have a very hard time getting help. Many of us who most need help with our recovery never get the help we need. We go without the support and resources that might have made all the difference in our recovery and in our lives. Why is it so hard for us to get help, even when we know we desperately need it?
Addiction is the ultimate test of our strength and courage. We can only approach the recovery process when we’re truly ready for it. For many of us, our lives must have become totally unlivable for us to get help, because we simply aren’t ready to push ourselves and do the hard work of recovering. It’s so hard to get help because we’ve been living with our addictions for so long that they’ve become our default way of life, our default way of thinking, feeling, behaving and operating. We can’t imagine life without the drug or behavior that helped us to feel like ourselves, that helped to relieve some of our emotional pain. We think we can’t function without it. It has become what we know, what is familiar and comfortable for us. It’s easier to stay enmeshed in the illusion of this comfort zone than to do the work to recover.
When we’re struggling with our addictions, we’ve been physically, mentally and emotionally dependent upon chemicals that totally alter our thinking. We have become chemically dependent and are therefore unwell. Even if we might feel fine most days, we’re not. We are self-destructive and not acting in our best interest. Much of the time we aren’t in our right minds or thinking clearly. Many of us are also living with mental health issues such as serious depression, anxiety and panic attacks. These can make life feel unbearable on their own. When coupled with the devastating effects of addiction, it can feel impossible to function in daily life, let alone reach out for help.
Sometimes we simply feel unable to ask for help. We feel so exhausted and hopeless in life we don’t have the energy to reach out. When we’re at our most vulnerable, our instinct is often to retreat inward and isolate, when what we actually need is the support and companionship of people who can understand and empathize with what we’re experiencing. Instead we suppress our emotions and keep them to ourselves, closing ourselves off to the help and support we need.
The treatment programs at Vista Taos include personalized care, so that we can provide you with the nurturing, caring foundation you need for recovery. Call (575) 613-4810 today for more information.
