For many addicts, sobriety is a hard process to come by. Addicted individuals can’t remember how it feels to be sober for extended periods of time. They can’t recall what they used to do during sober periods, and they don’t remember how they felt or what was different for them in those sober moments. The deeper into addiction an individual goes, the more sobriety seems like a dream instead of reality. At the point an addict begins to contemplate getting help for the addiction treatment, sobriety becomes like a dark cloud. People, in general, are procrastinators; they are more apt to take the easier route than the tougher ones. Imagining being sober, and even more, mustering the feelings of wanting to be sober can be extremely hard for a person who is still shying away from the hardships of life.
Getting sober and wanting to get sober is one of the hardest steps in recovering from addiction. Reasons and incentives to do so vary from person to person, too; there isn’t just one sure solution. The beginning of the ending of addiction usually comes when an individual becomes sick and tired of being high, being out of focus, and out of control. Over time the reality of life itself becomes blurred and hazy. Even though addiction makes people delusional, irresponsible, unreachable, and jaded, eventually, something gets through to these individuals, and they begin to realize how far they have fallen away from their old selves.
Family is a powerful force in regards to the motivation of getting sober. Addiction often drives loved ones off. Since addicts tend to begin stealing, lying, cheating, and harming loved ones in the depths of their obsession, there always comes a time when friends and family members have to call it quits. When this happens, mothers and fathers are lost, children are lost, siblings are lost, and all forms of familial support can diminish to nothingness.
The jarring loneliness of those types of situations can be what it takes to wake an addict up from their substance abuse nightmare. For most people, family is the one thing that will always be there, through thick or thin. At the point at which family has to take a step back to take care of themselves, even if it means leaving someone behind, it can be a real eye-opener.
Success is another “get sober” factor that hits addicts and spurs their desire to get help for the addiction. Some people thrive in success, strive for it, and work for it day in and day out. One thing that is very certain is that addiction is not picky in who it overtakes. Rich or poor, black or white, short or tall– addiction can hit anyone, and anyone can fall to the deepest levels of it. Success in productivity, careers, or hobbies is often the first thing to go in addiction.
As the substance becomes the hobby, the career, and the productivity of the day, the important aspects of an individual’s life begin to wane. Some individuals don’t need many failures in success to realize that they need help, or at least realize they need to stop abusing a substance. Others experience loss in jobs, broken dreams, and substantial loss before it really hits them; the damage they are doing by taking drugs.
Health is another aspect that can drive many addicts to have a sudden realization that help is needed. Heart attacks, strokes, overdoses, and seizures are all common health hazards to most addictions. Coming close to losing your life might be one of the best lesson teachers out there.