Failure to get off drugs is common. Why? Even when the addict wants to get away from the "pills" and he or she has family that is supportive, the process is most often stalled - just after it gets started - if it even gets started! Why is this? There are good reasons for this, and we've seen them all in play at the treatment facility, as follows:
Number 1 Reason: "CLUELESSNESS!" Most often and very unfortunately, the Addict and their Family are CLUELESS about what the true problem is that they are presently experiencing. They think they know, but they do not. They are deceived in this process, entirely, most often. They almost always believe it's "just him" or "just those drugs he uses"....and to eliminate "those drugs" will solve the addict's problems, entirely. Wrong. The problem is not with "drugs". Drugs are just what's most obvious as to what's wrong - with the situation. The addict (and their family so often) are having a TRUE PROBLEM with BEHAVIORS, first. Then (and only then) it was a DRUG PROBLEM...that came SECOND in order of "dysfunction"...way behind that first "little problem" of behaviors that most people like to ignore entirely. And if they do this, the addict will not get well, period! Ignoring these facts means you begin your "get well process" on the wrong road entirely. Guess what? That leads to a serious dead end most often, too.
Number 2 Reason: "Don't Want It." Most are brought to treatment and don't want it for themselves! Guess what? This never works. The addict has to be ready to get well - all by themselves - or it won't work! "You can lead a horse to water, etc."
Number 3 Reason: "Knows Better!" Family of the addict take charge in such a way as becomes entirely destructive - to the addict, to the treatment center, yet never to the addiction. Guess what? The addict gets worse in his or her addiction when they are not the ones spearheading their own recovery process! Note: The same thing occurs when the addict does this, as well. Often the addict is not willing to "let go" of the control they have over their life. This "almost sounds right" as each person should be in control of their own lives, but when this is not happening so horribly as in addiction, it becomes necessary to "allow" another guidance to lead you out of the present "quick sand" you are now in - just like any leader would lead someone who needs "leading". In no other situation is this more needed - than Addiction! But, the Addict "knows better" too often.
Number 4 Reason: "I'll do it my way..." Failure of those "seeking treatment" today to be honest or open to the facts of their own situation, presently. The game goes something like this. "I'll tell you only what I think you want to hear," and then I'll get those detox pills and feel better while I control every aspect of this process - and get worse - just like my own addict life! Wrong. (And many wonder why we have to confront them so often over issues just like this?) Those manipulating the process are CLUELESS about what they need to get well, and directly impede the process of what could be a healing treatment by refusing to participate in the known process of real recovery.* Instead, both the addict and the addict's entourage spend their energies, and money, trying to accomplish their "agenda" - which doesn't work because "if they'd already known how to do this - they'd have done that already" (and not be in the treatment office in the first place, huh?). Scenes like this are always way off the mark - destroying "what works" in this dangerous, progressive, hideous, escalating, explosive, deadly addiction recovery process. One has to ask, "Who's in charge of the treatment here"? Will it be you - or your family member - who haven't a clue what they're doing in this swamp of addiction - or will it be the treatment center's professionals who have done this for many years for so many before you?
*It all begins with your "intake assessment"...on location and in person. We have to get down to business if we are going to make any progress with this horrible disease, and what has become a "merry-go-round of demands" by phone today, only delays what you need, unfortunately. Nothing occurs by phone much in this process - because it really cannot - other than getting you here to receive absolutely necessary care - one on one - that most haven't a clue anything about (but sure can open up with lots of high pressured questions to do with what they expect they should be getting - in the way of "numbers of pills" (called Suboxone) & frequency of return visits, etc. - all that have to do with a process of delicate "recovery" from a deadly progression called "addiction" that they know nothing whatsoever about)...but that doesn't stop the demands, we see. And it all even "almost sounds right," too...when "dialing for pills" anyway, today). We just need to establish who's asking for the help here, and learn to understand, in that, the fact that "If you already knew what you needed (as most all of the calls directly imply today), then wouldn't you have already done that by now?" So, if you don't know what you need, why all the demands and "Suboxone Drug Deals" now?
Number 5 Reason: "What Others Say." Many times when someone with addiction comes into the office and goes through the "intake assessment" (where a lot happens - not uncommonly, where we see the "deer in the headlights" phenomenon occur - and the addict has a revelation as we do our process, on them), they begin the correct process of what could be their real recovery from a life of alcohol and/or drugs, only to them go out and hear "what others say" and be turned off by what just happened! It's one of the most common and disappointing things we see; those who "have an opinion" that sways the addict or their family (trying to help) away from the often difficult process of "early recovery". This is not just a fun process, obviously, and the intro into this new "drug free" life must often be associated with "confrontations" and "truths" that hit some hard, on impact. This is necessary to effect the change needed to "get it," but those out there who are "clueless" about any of this, yet claim to "know better," do irreparable harm to the addict when they express their opinions about that which they know nothing of fact about and this destroys what we have taken so long to begin, in the office...which may be the only time this one addict gets the real chance to get better, actually. We believe there will be hell to pay for those who do this, even unknowingly, someday...
Number 6 Reason: "Money". This complaint seems to be a regular thing when seeking treatment for such a deadly disease as Addiction: "I can't afford that much money!" The real answer to the money question is this: "I can't affort NOT to do this!" While most complain about having to spend money to treat their nasty addictions, they didn't complain (most probably) to their dealer about how much their drugs cost them to do. Too, the cost of even excellent "drug treatment" is far less than the (just) financial costs of "doing drugs" that most people have long experienced throughout the years...where they've lost not only a lot of money, but a lot of other things in their life - to do with: Relationships, Opportunities,
Number 7 Reason: "Attidude!" When most addicts and their families come in for treatment, they are on the defensive. They don't mean to be and most don't know they are, but they are scared, at least some of them are (that know enough to know they should be), and that makes them have the reaction to try to "take over control". This doesn't work in any treatment situation, as one might guess. These folks become more difficult to care for because they can't allow the ones who know what to do the room to do it for them. No one can be "led" if they don't allow it to occur. So, it is the "attitude" that can kill the opportunity to get what you need, and this occurs very often, too...even in situations not related to "addiction" or "detox"...in today's walk-in medical care arena, as well.
Number 8 Reason: "I can handle it..." After the initial progress that may be made with any addict, there comes a time fairly quickly where the "early recovery" addict begins to get the hang of it - sort of - and starts to nix things out of his or her recovery program, just because it's inconvenient or uncomfortable. It could also be that the early recovering addict feels "I can handle it" now, esp. on this or that - that they want to ease up on due to its' inconveniences (like say, going to meetings). Then guess what happens? RELAPSE.
Number 9 Reason: MORE COMING...
