Walking away from a life filled with substance abuse isn’t easy or simple. It starts with knowing that it’s time to heal, but simple knowledge isn’t enough. Leaving the world of substance abuse isn’t an overnight process, nor is it considered an easy process. People that have entered recovery successfully have always cited that there was something that led them to finally seeking help, and they are constantly looking for ways to stay clean for the long term. Rehab is just one way to go through the process, but it’s a time-tested way of getting things done.
The first step is often the physical detox process, which means that you have to go through withdrawal steps. This is where a lot of people report that they struggle, because their bodies are being forcibly removed from something that makes them feel good. Detoxification is necessary — there is no way to be in recovery if you’re still getting to abuse the substances that are destroying your life.
From here, you have mental issues that often spur an addiction. People feel inadequate, and they often come from backgrounds heavy with abuse. It’s hard to believe in a clean life if you’ve never seen anyone do it. That’s why rehab can be effective in reversing addiction, because the person gets to see what life can really be like after an addiction. It’s definitely worth it to keep trying.
But the physical and mental symptoms of withdrawal linger on for a long time. Some people feel like they’re never going to escape their addictions, because what’s often waiting for them on the other side is a lot of pain. Many rehab programs encourage the patient to begin purging old hurts. It’s very hard to call the people that you’ve wronged in life and apologize, but these apologies are a solid part of the healing process.
Handling the different symptoms of the process isn’t an overnight thing, of course. It can be hard to confront the people you’ve wronged, and it’s even harder to confront the people that have wronged you when you can’t fall back onto old habits. Be as long as you’re committed to success, you’re going to eventually travel far on the road to recovery.
