Sobriety and Peace of Mind: Addiction Survivors Share Why Mental Health Care is the Best Drug Rehabilitation.

One of the many things that’s tricky about addiction is the impact it can have on a person’s mental health. It can exacerbate existing conditions, bring previously unrecognized problems to light, and even create brand new issues. Whether an addiction was spurred by a mental health problem or the cause of it, sobriety is a crucial part of overcoming both.

                                       

I recently had the opportunity to speak with recovering addicts about their experiences with substance abuse. They told me about the two-way street sobriety and mental health have: the ways their improved state of mind keeps them sober, and the importance of addressing mental health in recovery. Here are a few of the things they shared with me.

Sobriety helped Megan go medication-free

Megan said she not only struggled with mental health issues for much of her life, she was on medication for more than a decade.

“At one point, I was on 16 different psych meds,” she noted.

Though medications can be beneficial for many people, for Megan it was a delicate balance because she was also battling a cocaine addiction. She tried multiple rehab centers, but said that all she saw was an increase in medication — and no signs of true recovery. She said the notion of going completely holistic with her treatment gave her anxiety:

“I came [to a new treatment center] not knowing that they were going to take me off all my meds. And I was really, really scared when they told me that they were going to.”

But total sobriety gave her the clarity she needed to really confront her issues. Best of all, she no longer had to worry about feeling judged or looked down upon.

“Everyone’s very accepting. There’s next to no judgment around what has happened in your life or what you have done in your life, and everyone understands that this is a new start — and we are here to rebuild our lives from this point on,” she said.

Johnny J. and Kenny found sobriety and the light in life

Most of us can relate to indulging when we’re sad, but the truth is substances are at best a temporary fix. They might make you feel better in the moment, but whether it’s a painful hangover, reckless actions, or simply the depressive feeling of coming down, drugs and alcohol ultimately only make things worse. And that negative effect is amplified in addiction.

When you regularly depend on a substance to get you through the day, it’s distressing — even if you can’t outwardly admit it. It can make you quite bitter, especially about ever finding lasting relief from your problems. That cynicism often carries over, making an addict’s daily life increasingly dark.

“Before I got [sober], I wasn’t exactly a negative person, but treatment really taught me how to smile more,” Johnny J. reflected. “From the time that I got here until now, I just feel so much better as a person.”

People in the depths of addiction don’t always realize that it’s the addiction itself causing them so much pain and anxiety. But once your mind and body are completely detoxed, it’s easier to see there’s a happier path.

“I’m working on changing how I perceive things, like an overall change of mindset,” explained Kenny. “I feel like sobriety without happiness is kind of useless. I am working on finding my own personal happiness and lighting that flame inside of me, and I feel like once I find that happiness and it’s secure, then sobriety will be the least of what I’m worried about.”

He said that his time in addiction treatment at Michigan’s Best Drug Rehabilitation helped him accept his own shortcomings and see a brighter future for himself.

“I feel like being put here is giving me an opportunity and a sense of light,” he said.

John A. had to take a closer look at his issues

There’s a dangerous comfort in substances. They’re always there when you need them and never judge you for turning to them. Even though it’s an incredibly slippery slope, it isn’t difficult to understand how loneliness can lead to drug and alcohol abuse.

John A. told me it was his overwhelming sense of isolation after his children left home that led to his relapse with crystal meth. When his daughter caught him shooting up, she cut off ties completely.

“From that point on, she wouldn’t speak to me, answer my texts, or respond to me in any way,” he said.

Eventually John realized he needed help — and that meant some serious introspection.

“You have to dig deep into yourself, and that’s what they try to do [in treatment]. They try to bring that out of you. It’s what’s eating at your inner core,” he explained, adding that it was only when he got to the root of his issues that he was able to repair his family.

If you’re struggling with both a mental health condition and addiction, you are not alone. These brave survivors overcame the deepest depths of substance abuse and came out the other side stronger, healthier, and happier — and so can you.