Claiming an addict can’t/won’t get help until they hit rock bottom implies that use is not a problem until a person reaches rock bottom. Most everyone has this preconceived notion that a drug addict is some homeless poor miserable soul with no family who lives under a bridge, I know that’s what I thought, it’s a false narrative that’s the byproduct of preaching rock bottom as a necessity to being a drug addict.
Editor's note: This is not meant to be a criticism of Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, or 12 Step Programs. I love the program, rather it is meant to spark the discussion on addiction to change the dialogue and to reassess the problem of drugs in society. Now I’m going to cram more themes into this post than I should try, but here goes...
In short being addicted is like watching the same shitty movie on repeat, day in and day out, all the while feeling as though you have no control to put something else on. It’s a slow progression into insanity. While you’re conscious it’s happening, you don’t have the capacity to make a change.
Cravings might be the single greatest obstacle facing a person in recovery for the simple fact that they seemingly last forever. This post is meant to address three questions: how long can you expect them to last, how to best prepare yourself to not fall into their trap, and how to expedite their duration.
We like to call the process of recognizing our parents shortcomings in ourselves as ending rationalization. The result is a higher level of emotional intelligence, the ability to see beyond one’s self, an outward mindset.
