Recovering from addiction isn’t easy, but it is possible, and it does happen – even after multiple relapses; individuals can and do find and maintain sobriety. To do so they need a facility that understands relapse and can help both the individual and the family understand relapse too.
I attended Gulf Breeze Recovery in 2016 after over a decade of failed attempts to get clean at 12-step drug treatment centers. I was an IV drug user, and I thought that if anyone truly understood how powerful my cravings were, then surely they would see why it was impossible for me to stay sober. That’s why one of the most valuable insights I gained during my time in Gulf Breeze was my relationship to cravings.
It was after one of those parties, in fact, where Ben hit what he calls his rock bottom. He apparently “made an ass of himself”, although he doesn’t remember it. After the party, he went home and fell down the stairs. He was pretty beat up, bloody, sore, bruised and lucky to have survived the fall.
Mary was a fun-loving girl. In college, she started drinking and experimenting with drugs, and it was part of the college adventure. She believed that she was in control and that everything was okay – until it wasn’t. “You are a functioning member of society,” she explains, “until one day you’re not!”
The struggle with addiction is difficult. Determination and effort are required to take the necessary steps to break free. Some people do it on their own, but most people can’t. They need effective interventions and professional care to make that important first step and follow through with the process to become substance free.
When is someone really ready for transformational change? One of the most commonly asked questions by those who have a loved one entering drug or alcohol treatment is, “Are they …
Relapse after substance abuse treatment is common. Unfortunately, some people go to multiple programs investing both time and resources in their quest for sobriety. So often, sobriety, when it is achieved, doesn’t last.
Having a loved one with addiction hurts the entire family. Family members want their addicted loved one to just be “normal” again, to just be themselves again. Sometimes they wonder …
There are things you can do to improve the likelihood of a positive outcome from an intervention. These tips can help you approach an intervention with confidence.
To sum it up, “the body has a very powerful mechanism (self-regulation) that assists us with adapting to new situations and challenges. Even though it does not always choose the best solution to rise to the occasion, the brain has an incredible capacity to learn from experience.