Am I ready for addiction recovery?

Making the decision to get help for your addiction is one of the best decisions you will ever make. The road may not always be smooth and easy, but sticking it out and really applying yourself to the concept of addiction recovery and all it entails is the key to really turning your life around. One of the most common questions for individuals about to make the leap to an addiction treatment plan is whether or not they are ready for the process. While there is no definitive answer to this (and each answer varies from person to person), there are some questions you can ask yourself that will allow you to determine that answer for yourself. Experts suggest that the first and most important question to ask yourself when it comes to addiction recovery is why you have decided to do it. If you are pursuing treatment purely to appease a loved one, family member, or friend, the chances that recovery will not work for you are very high. The simple fact of the matter is that addiction treatment requires a number of sacrifices, pain, and changes that are not for the faint of heart, or for the individual that is only casually considering treatment. Your desire for treatment must come purely from you, and while family members and loved ones may very well, support, encourage, and motivate you, it must be in you to continue to fight that addiction long after you’ve said your goodbyes to them at the door of the recovery center. Another question to consider is the fears you have about getting over your addiction. This is a deep question, because it seems like an individual would have no fears about getting rid of something as unhealthy and degenerative as an addiction. This is not always the case, however. Many individuals fear that if they do get over substance abuse, they will have nothing else to enjoy, they will not be their normal selves, or they will not be able to have “the fun that they used to have.” If you are someone with this type of fear, it is important to remind yourself that these fears are not coming from your mind, but from a mind that is influenced and controlled by addiction. Finally, the last question to consider is whether you are ready to be honest with yourself, and to face the reality that is drug addiction head-on. There are very few individuals that will openly acknowledge that their addiction is not healthy, it is dangerous, and it is no one else’s fault. When you get to the point where you are ready to be honest and candid with yourself about needing help, you’ll know for certain that you are ready for recovery!