16 Jan Top 10 Excuses for Not Going to Addiction Treatment
Possibly the most critical issue in dealing with addiction is getting the addicted person to go to treatment. This is the most insidious disease imaginable. No other disease makes the victim think he, or she, doesn’t need treatment. And that’s what makes excuses so prevalent in addiction treatment – it is the addict convincing himself, and others, that he doesn’t need treatment or that the time just isn’t right.
- I’m too busy.
Everyone is busy. There’s never a “convenient” time to go to treatment. But, if you’re so busy, how do you find the time to seek out and do all those drugs or drink all that alcohol?
- I can’t leave my job for that long.
Well, you probably won’t have a job soon if you keep on the path you’re on. And then what? Your employer probably already knows there’s a problem, even if he/she doesn’t know exactly what it is. But as much as you think you’re great at hiding your addiction, the fact is the people around you are better at hiding that they know.
- I have to take care of some things first – yeah like taking drugs.
If you really think about it, there isn’t anything that really needs to be taken care so badly. Certainly, the most important thing to take care of is you, which in turn will help take care of everything else. No, this is another lame excuse.
- I can’t afford it.
I love this one the most. You can afford $1000 a week on drugs for the past however many years, but when it comes to treatment suddenly money is an issue. This is the best investment you can make and, if you call us, you’ll discover just how affordable treatment is. Plus, if you have insurance that will likely cover all or most of your treatment.
- Everyone will know I’ve been to rehab.
Why? If you come to Lanna, no one needs to know you’re going anywhere but on a holiday. That’s one of the benefits of coming here, this is a huge resort and spa area, a place where tourism thrives. So, no, no one needs to know, unless you tell them.
- I can’t leave my kids.
You’re not doing your kids any good being around them as an addict. It’s not a good example, and they probably are already aware that you’re not behaving normally and, in the end if things get bad enough, you won’t have them anyway. Social Services will end up taking them. So, if you really have your kids’ welfare in mind just get the help you need. They’ll be much happier in the end. You all will be.
- I have to go to a (insert event here).
This is always an interesting one. Some of the events I hear are so lame it’s surreal. A convention for work, or a retreat for work, or a retreat for my family, my great aunt Bessie’s funeral. None of these do you any good in your current state and, in fact, you may actually end up doing more damage than good in terms of your job or your family. There just isn’t anything that important. Unless, of course, you’ve been sentenced to jail, that actually is unavoidable. But even then, sometimes you can get that commuted to going to treatment instead.
- I don’t need rehab. I can stop when I want.
Liar, liar pants on fire! I’ll leave it at that.
- But I’m so productive on drugs. Or, I’m happier when I’m on drugs/alcohol.
If you think that’s the case, you have big problems and they need to be addressed. No one is more productive on drugs for long and you only burn out faster. As for being happier, that, too, is indicative of a psychological problem or untreated condition that needs attention. You’re not actually happier, you’re only numbing yourself. Don’t confuse that with being happy. If you truly want to be happy, treatment can get you there.
- Rehab is like a jail. I can’t do jail.
Take a look at our website and see if that looks like jail to you. It’s the furthest thing from jail. Of course, if you keep on going the way you are you may very well end up in jail anyway. But you’re currently in a prison of your own making. That’s what addiction is. That drug owns you, it makes you do whatever it needs. That’s worse than prison, that’s slavery.
This is real simple: the sooner an addicted person gets into treatment the better off they’ll be. It only gets worse the longer you wait. Your addiction becomes that much more ingrained in your brain, in your thinking, detox is harder, longer and the potential for relapse greater. So, please, STOP THE EXCUSES. Get the help you need. And to the families and spouses hearing these excuses, take them for what they are, a dodge, a deflection, buying time. But remember, with enough time this disease leads to only one thing.
