Can Breakups Help You Get Clean and Sober?
Some people say that hitting “rock bottom” is a necessary evil — that it’s the only way that an addict will recognize that they have to go through the hard work of drug addiction treatment to get sober. Because recovery isn’t easy, the theory is that extreme loss can convince someone to keep going when they want to relapse and that the goal of avoiding the pain caused by the loss of addiction can help someone to remain clean and sober for the long haul.
Many include a breakup or divorce as a part of that “rock bottom” loss. And while the loss of a relationship can trigger relapse or even more extreme drug use, it can also be a wakeup call: without treatment, life will continue to fall apart piece by piece until there’s nothing left but the addiction.
Travie’s Story
Travie McCoy of the band Gym Class Heroes actively abused prescription drugs for years. He began abusing pills while he was a teenager and, slowly, his abuse of prescription medications turned into a full-blown addiction.
McCoy told VH1’s Behind the Music: “One morning, I woke up and I went to the bathroom, straight to the medicine cabinet to find my pills, and I looked in the mirror for a good half-hour, just staring at myself. I’m like, ‘Who is this guy?’ My face was sunken in. I had these awful rings under my eyes. It wasn’t me. I knew if I didn’t do something, I was gonna end up dead. That was the morning I decided to break the cycle.”
Though he attempted to get clean and sober by enrolling in drug rehab on four different occasions, he says that it was his breakup with pop star Katy Perry that finally convinced him to get serious about sobriety.
Said McCoy: “I was sick of trying to feed this monster. If I didn’t do something, I was gonna end up dead. I wouldn’t wish that type of pain and agony on my worst enemy.”
What Will Make You Get the Addiction Treatment You Need?
Is it a breakup or the threat of divorce? The potential loss of child custody? The threat of losing your job? Health problems? Slowly, one by one, all of those things will happen if your drug dependence is allowed to continue. Don’t wait for addiction to dismantle your life. Contact us today at The Orchid and learn more about our addiction treatment programs and how they can help you change your life.