What’s one of the most powerful deterrents to relapse? Regret. Don’t let drug and alcohol abuse be the habit that defines your choices. Learn from the mistakes of others instead, and remember, yours is a life worth living.
Relationship Damage
Recovering addicts say that the damage using causes to relationships is, in many cases, irreparable. Lucky others are able to rebuild meaningful, trusting bonds with spouses, children, parents, siblings and friends.
Some people regret introducing a friend to drugs, and others worry about the damage caused by missing or misbehaving at important events. Relationships are life’s currency — and a life that’s rich in meaningful friendships and family connections is a well-lived life indeed.
Wasted Time
People who are addicted to drugs and alcohol spend hours, often hours every day, unable or unwilling to do anything but get high or drunk. Imagine the best years of your life, gone in an instant because of alcohol or drug abuse. Your friends will spend those years succeeding at work, building families of their own, developing hobbies and living the dream. You could spend them that way, but when you use, you design a future of struggle, heartache and disappointment.
Lasting Health Problems
Individuals who abuse drugs and alcohol often develop life-threatening problems that won’t ever go away. Ask the intravenous drug abuser who contracted HIV/AIDS or the alcoholic who quit drinking but still has liver disease. Alcohol and drug abuse is associated with a diverse range of extremely serious health problems, such as cancer and heart disease. Quit abusing substances, and you’ll have a better chance at avoiding these troubling problems.
Lost Career Aspirations
Think back to the dreams you had when you were young. Remember the days when you wanted to be a doctor, a dancer or an astronomer? Drugs and alcohol destroy those ambitions. They make it impossible to think clearly or to make sound decisions. You’ll lose your ability to remember and learn. Formerly addicted people point to lost potential as one of their biggest regrets. And the earlier you stop, the better off you’ll be.
Setting a Bad Example
Have you ever used alcohol or drugs in front of an impressionable child or sibling? If so, you’ll join formerly addicted people who say that setting a bad example for others is one of their biggest regrets. This is especially problematic, as addiction is a disease that runs in families. People who are related to a parent, sibling or grandparent with addiction are about 50 percent more likely to develop addiction themselves.
Contact 12 Keys Rehab for More Information
If you are worried about a growing drug or alcohol problem and want to quit, 12 Keys Rehab can help. Don’t wait — the earlier you quit, the easier recovery can be. Contact 12 Keys Rehab today to get your life back on track.