You Can Get Clean, Even If You Don’t Want To

hopeful sunset recovery

Overcoming addiction can be a huge battle. Getting help for addiction and the thought of going to rehab might frighten you. You might never want to get clean and sober. Or so you think. The truth is, people with substance abuse problems are at risk of overdose and death, and there’s research to back this up. Unfortunately, more than 70,000 people died from drug overdoses in the United States in 2017 — that’s a two-fold increase in just a decade. Luckily, you can still get clean, even if you don’t want to (or think you don’t want to).

Why Do Some People Not Want to Get Clean?

There are a number of reasons why you might not want to get clean or you might not how to get clean. You’re not the only one who feels like this. Research shows that there were 22.7 million Americans with a substance use disorder in 2013, but only 2.5 million actually received treatment at a specialty facility. Around 25 percent of these people said they weren’t ready to stop using. Here are some common reasons why some people don’t want to get clean from drugs.

They’re Fearful

When your addiction becomes part of you, getting clean can be daunting. It helps you get out of bed in the morning and is with you through everything you do. Substances provide comfort and relief for people struggling in other areas of their lives. It becomes a safety blanket and understands you as no one else does. However, it’s trying to kill you in the process. 

They Like Being High

Addicts always remember their first good buzz or high, spending their lives chasing that feeling to feel whole. That feeling is exceptionally gratifying, so they’ve built their lifestyle around it — alienating everyone around them in the process. 

They Don’t Want to Deal with the Fallout

Some people feel consequences follow them and that they can’t use substances without running into one. As a result, many individuals try to change jobs, relationships, or drugs, but nothing resolves the chaos of addiction. Many people would rather continue using than deal with the mess they’ve made. 

They Think Life Will Get Boring 

Many people find life boring without their drug of choice. A little chemical help can make it more fun and exciting for them. They also find it easier to care about others when abusing drugs. These individuals seek to thrill and get a rush from living on the edge and not getting caught. 

They Don’t Feel Good When They’re Clean

Many addicts feel like outsiders and are miserable when they’re sober. They find it difficult and exhausting to socialize with people and are more comfortable being alone. As a result, they turn to substance abuse to escape this stressful reality and don’t understand the reasons to stay sober. 

Substance Abuse Fills a Void 

Although people might not notice from the outside, you know that you have a missing piece from long before you struggled with an addiction that you consistently try to fill up. Many people try to fill their void with drugs and alcohol, food, sex, relationships, work, or shopping. However, no matter how often you try to fill the void, it always empties and comes back more prominent than before. 

They Don’t Think They Can

Many addicts know they have a problem and try every way to manage it, but nothing seems to stick. Constantly falling back into old patterns can make people lose hope of ever getting clean. They often give up on themselves and give in to their addiction. Every addict has struggled with these thoughts and feelings, but your quality of life doesn’t depend on them. Instead, your actions do. When you change your actions, your thinking and how you view yourself will also change. 

The truth is, the longer you put off recovery, the harder it will be. Rehab isn’t a scary place. It’s a safe space where you can get the treatment you need and overcome addiction for good.

Getting Clean Is Difficult

There is a stigma that surrounds people who don’t want to get clean. However, these people are just as deserving of addiction help and treatment as anyone else.

“To say that some addicts want to change and are deserving of the help necessary to recover, while other addicts don’t and should languish on the streets or in prison, and to place me in the former category, would be factually incorrect,” says Morgan Gliedman, Regional Director at the Addiction Policy Forum in Washington, DC.

“I was a tenacious, low-bottom addict, and I didn’t want to get clean until after I already was clean. My recovery, at least in the beginning, was motivated in equal parts by fear of the legal system and love for my daughter. I didn’t choose to stop; I was stopped, and then taught the tools to stay stopped.”

The Meadows Texas campus

Choose a Rehab Center That Understands Your Individual Circumstances

There’s no “one-size-fits-all” approach to alcohol and drug treatment. You have individual experiences that brought you to this point in your life. This is why you should choose a rehab center that understands your history, motivations, and personal battles.

The Meadows Texas is a treatment center that takes into account your individual circumstances when you seek addiction help. Here, trained staff will create a customized treatment plan based on your needs in order to help with substance abuse and improve your chances of recovery. It’s that simple. After all, no two people are the same.

“Addiction is holding you back, but recovery is possible,” says The Meadows Texas. “Our alumni and their families are evidence that, with treatment, life in recovery is possible. A healthier life, without dependency, is waiting for you. Are you ready to change your story?”

You might not want to get clean but making the first move and getting addiction help by checking yourself into rehab could improve your life. A personalized treatment plan at the right facility could free you from addiction. Visit our treatment program information to find out if The Meadows Texas is the right fit for you.