How do I convince myself to stick with treatment?

The hardest part of any addiction recovery effort is often not the treatment itself. Rather, it is the mindset of the individual receiving the treatment. Because addiction is essentially a hijacking of the mind, individuals will often face their biggest battles in recovery when their will comes to a crossroads with the disease and what it wants. If you can win that battle early, it will get easier and easier as you progress through recovery. As human beings, we are conditioned to be stubborn and pleasure-seeking. Oftentimes, consuming drugs allows us to check off both of those boxes. While people typically know the harmful effects of drugs (not to mention their illegality and their effects on others), many still partake in consuming them to fill a void or gap that they feel could not otherwise be filled. Getting treatment can be the perfect way to deal with the underlying problems behind drug use, but it can also be incredibly difficult for an individual to follow through with. One of the best ways to convince yourself to stick with treatment, according to studies, is to consider the reward of successfully completing the treatment, and to compare it to the alternative. Even the most stubborn individual can no doubt understand that a life free of a dangerous vice that has the potential to kill and destroy is better than living with it. Constantly reminding yourself of this, even when you may be going through a weak point, is key to finding the strength to push on with treatment. Another great way to convince yourself to stick with treatment is by considering the ones who will benefit the most from your sobriety. Oftentimes, these are people like your partner, spouse, parents, or kids. These individuals have put up with your drug use for some time, and you owe it to them to get clean so that they can live their own lives and stop worrying about you. Imagining the smile on their satisfied faces when they see a new, clean, sober version of you in a few months should be more than enough to keep you going! Finally, if all else fails, convince yourself to stick with treatment because when addicted, you are not in control of your own mind. Fight addiction to win back your own freedom, and to take back your thoughts, wants, and desires from a drug that’s sole purpose is to destroy you.