What does Hitting Rock Bottom Mean and What Can it Teach You
As a person becomes enveloped in their addiction every day may seem like its worse than the last. Getting that fix may be as if it is the only thing that seems right at the time. As soon as it wears off, things are not any better. With each passing day, family and friends become more distant, your job hands you a notice of redundancy and the bills start to pile up. Your landlord tells you enough is enough and then you get pulled over by the police. Legal troubles are in tow. You wake up one afternoon and feel as if you’ve lost everything; your life is at a tipping point. You’ve hit rock bottom and now you have two choices. You do something to get out of it, or you know you will end up losing this battle of addiction.
Therapists at Siam Rehab often get asked “did my alcohol or drug use cause my depression?” With honesty, we will likely reply “maybe”, or “it depends”. This is when it will take several dedicated therapy sessions to find the source of the depression and addiction. From here, well trained staff will be able to make a determination on which came first.
What is Rock Bottom?
Rock bottom is the deepest point which an addict can reach. It’s when a person loses everything they had including their relationship, job, money, shelter and health. This term is often used when a person has hit their lowest level and now can only go up. In fact, some people believe an addict must hit rock bottom before they can get better. Whether or not this actually holds true depends on the person and their circumstances itself. Ask a sober person who hit rock bottom and then got the help they needed to get out of it and they may even say it was the best thing that ever happened to them even though at the time, it was the lowest point ever.
Only recently has the ability to travel abroad for an addiction become possible. For many addicts and their families this has been life saving. Now more than ever, the options of getting help for an addiction are vaster than ever. Low cost flights, easy access to international countries like Thailand and free or affordable visas means foreign rehabs are something everyone should consider.
Getting Past the Denial
Denial is something which all addicts will face at one point or another. Excuses and reasons for why they need to drink or get high will be their own personal enabler of addiction. At extreme peaks of denial, getting help will be nearly impossible because they will not see any reason to quit. When an addict hits rock bottom their denial may vanish and reality may face them straight in the eyes. They see past their denial of addiction and realize where their substance abuse has taken them. It is at this point, they will be more willing to get the help and support they need to get sober.
There are two primary types of depression: endogenous depression and situational depression. Endogenous depression occurs when there is a biological or genetic connection to the disorder. Typically, close relatives will also suffer from depression and episodes can intensify with stress or anxiety. Most people with endogenous depression will suffer episodes throughout their life and will require long term treatment and medication. Often, this depression causes addiction rather than vice versa.
Situational depression, also known as readjustment disorder, occurs when a person is unable to healthily cope with specific stressors, environmental factors or major life events. Situational depression often occurs after the loss of a loved one, job woes, financial issues, divorce/breakups or reoccurring stress. Addiction to drugs or alcohol can be a result of this depression or alternatively, lead to depression.
Signs of Depression
- Feeling down or low for most of the day, nearly every day
- Losing pleasure in activities that were once enjoyable
- Weight gain or weight loss
- Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
- Feeling tired even after a restful night
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness or insecurity
- Inability to concentrate or think straight
- Difficulty speaking or moving
- In extreme cases, thoughts of self harm or suicide
Our rehab in Thailand values the recovery of each and every person and so we have a 1 to 1 staff to patient ratio to ensure every person receives adequate care and support.
Addiction No Longer Reigns
Once you have hit rock bottom, you will realize that addiction is no longer controlling you. This is not to say that you won’t go through withdrawals and that you won’t have intense almost uncontrollable cravings, but you will have it within you to get through these times.
When a person has depression and has sought out treatment for the addiction only, there is a greater concern for relapsing. This is especially true when the triggers are directly related to the depression. In short, depression and addiction is dangerous and yet very common. The good news is that both disorders can be effectively treated at the same time.
In Thailand, rehab centers such as Serenity Koh Samui will be able to modify a drug and alcohol treatment program whenever necessary as long as it does not conflict or interfere with other guests of the program.
What You May Learn When You Hit Rock Bottom
When and if you hit rock bottom from an addiction to drugs or alcohol, you may realize it is the best thing that’s ever happened. At our rehab center in Thailand, many addicts in recovery tell our therapists that even with all the struggles they encountered on the way to the bottom and once they were there, it was exactly what they needed. Others tell us that even though they didn’t make it all the way, the experiences they had throughout this dark tunnel were the core reason they sought out rehab. Here’s what some of our clients of the rehab says they gained from hitting rock bottom (or almost):
- “Trusting in MYSELF and MY STRENGTHS became clear.”
- “Learning the hard way, helped me to grow as a person.”
- “I realized I had boundaries and self worth.”
- “I had to get certain negative people out of my life.”
- “I gained humility and compassion.”
- “Nothing was working for me, so I let EVERYTHING go!”
- “I stopped blaming everyone else and accepted responsibility.”
These are just some of the incredible outcomes that hitting rock bottom can do for an addict, or anyone in a tough situation. Remember, when you hit rock bottom, you really cannot go any further. So, if you’re at this point, use it as a springboard to move back up and out of this darkness.
In Thailand, private rehabs like ours incorporate an eclectic range of therapies. While there are small allotments in the day considered to be free time, the individual’s time will primarily be spent at a therapeutic session, meeting or other designed activity.
You Don’t Have to Wait to Hit Rock Bottom to Rock it UP!
Sometimes rock bottom is what an addict needs to turn their life around, but this is not always the case. For some people, watching someone else hit rock bottom will be their tipping point. Others may feel the tremors within their body and underneath their feet and know they are on their way to falling to the bottom. If possible, when you feel rock bottom is just a few feet away, taking action now could prevent further disasters and obstacles. Ask yourself the following questions to see if you’re on your way to hitting rock bottom and then start to develop a small plan to get you out of this tunnel of darkness.
- What am I missing out on (this includes relationships, activities, experiences, profession, etc.) and what will be the consequences if I don’t do something to change it?
- What will I gain (this includes relationships, activities, experiences, profession, etc.) if I do take action now?
- Who can I reach out to today for advice and guidance on how to reverse my life?
- What can I do now for myself to take me in the direction out of rock bottom and into the light of a healthy, happy and sober life?
If you’ve answered these questions, you’re already doing something for yourself that will help you to get ahead and out of the circumstances you are in.
You’ve Hit Rock Bottom, Now What?
If you have an addiction to drugs and alcohol and realize it is time to change the course of directions in life, consider a new start by heading to a rehab center. Siam Rehab is a leading treatment facility for addictions in Thailand. We’ve seen what happens when someone hits rock bottom and we’ve helped him or her to get out of it. Many of our certified professional staff have been there themselves and can directly relate to what it feels like. If you’re ready to take charge of your life and do something for YOU, contact Siam Rehab today.
