What’s The Purpose Behind Your Drug Treatment Journey?
Alright, so you have finally gotten yourself to drug rehab. You have a feeling that even though itis a good thing, this may be one of the most challenging times of your life. You need something to keep you moving
forward, some kind of purpose. What might help you hang on to see it through?
Many Emotional Issues Behind Drug Addiction
Your purpose might depend on some of your worst problems coming from your drug addiction. Each person has a slightly different set of circumstances and needs. You may not even realize the depth of these needs until you go through some or all of your drug rehab stay. Abandonment by family, depression, insecurity, family history of addiction, and more. When you become open to the reality of your emotional pain, you often find the deepest roots of your addiction.
Most likely, your purpose for getting through drug rehab is closely linked to these needs. Drugs and alcohol have been used to quiet the painful cries of your soul. Your childhood abuse finds a way to disrupt your life in emotionally painful ways. Whether you recognize this or not, an addiction will most certainly keep you from facing these feelings. It takes self-honesty to learn how to live with shameful memories and disturbing feelings.
Money Problems Can Stem From Drug Addiction and Emotional Problems
For example – you have used money to cheer you up when you were sad. Perhaps your mom had a habit of buying you little gifts after your father was abusive to you. Rather than leave a dangerous situation, she tried to distract you and keep you quiet. You knew they didn’t really take the pain away, but it was beter than nothing. And now, you have a habit of going on shopping sprees when you feel depressed. You did retail therapy instead of mental health therapy.
As a result, you have credit card bills you cannot afford and a lot of clutter in your home. Instead of helping the pain, it just brings more. You began drinking to cover up this pain and you continued your bad shopping habit. Perhaps in this case, your purpose is to give yourself a gift of financial peace and emotional honesty.
Do Drug Treatment For Yourself
It might sound good to say you are doing drug treatment for your marriage, for your kids, for your parents, or whoever. But ultimately, you need to do drug treatment for you. When you do it for others, you become focused on other people’s judgments of your sobriety. If your husband is mad at you one day, you might start resenting your reason to go through drug treatment – doesn’t he appreciate what you are doing for HIM??
Drug addicts are very good at focusing on everything but themselves when they need to. When you do it for yourself, with whatever purpose or goal, you stay accountable to only your own evaluation. If you do things that are helpful and healthy for you in drug treatment, you will ultimately be that healthy person for others as well.