| Should you be battling with alcohol or drug addiction, | | | | get professional treatment is the thought that because |
| you can essentially do one of two things to come | | | | of the costs involved - that getting treatment is simply |
| clean or get sober. You can look to go it alone by | | | | not realistic. Yes - some forms of treatment are |
| trying to overcome your addiction by yourself - or | | | | expensive, but you do also get many other kinds that |
| alternatively ask for help and get professional | | | | are accessible and affordable to almost everyone. |
| treatment. | | | | If you had cancer, would you try and beat that by |
| I don't recommend going it alone because the stakes | | | | yourself? And there will be some of you, I know, who |
| are just too high. We're talking about your life, or that | | | | have read stories of people who have done exactly |
| of someone you really care about here. | | | | that, but why make it harder for yourself if there are |
| As far as I'm concerned - there are probably two | | | | people out there ready and willing to help you? |
| major reasons that people try go it alone when trying | | | | My first suggestion then would always be that you |
| to beat an addiction. Firstly, because there is a certain | | | | always try and get yourself into a drug or alcohol |
| stigma to being regarded as an addict and the resulting | | | | treatment center. It may involves doing some |
| shame us addicts feel, we'd rather pretend we've got | | | | investigation and research to find one that is right for |
| things under control or that we can handle the problem | | | | you and in close enough proximity (if you're concerned |
| ourselves. | | | | about the costs) - but there is no reason why you |
| Don't believe that for a second though. There is no | | | | shouldn't be able to make it happen. It was certainly the |
| shame in admitting to an addiction to alcohol or drugs. | | | | best thing I did in helping me sort my life out. |
| Tens of millions of people struggle with addiction. It is | | | | Going to treatment helps you realise that you're not |
| now medically regarded as a disease after all. Any | | | | alone. There are other people going through exactly |
| more importantly - by taking ownership of your | | | | the same things you are. And so you suddenly don't |
| problem, you've taken the most important step to | | | | feel so lonely and isolated anymore. Yes - treatment is |
| coming clean. Because without doing that, you'd just be | | | | only the beginning of the road - but it gives you the |
| living in denial - and then you'd have no chance. | | | | best possible start towards building a new life for |
| The other and 2nd major reason many addicts don't | | | | yourself. |