Hitting Rock Bottom in Addiction

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In this episode of the Recovery Rebirth Podcast, we discuss what it means to hit rock bottom. Experiencing rock bottom can manifest in many ways: emotional, physical and spiritual. For some people, it’s a combination of or all of these. It has been said that people change when the pain of staying where they are becomes greater than the pain of changing. Whether people are battling substance abuse or emotional turmoil related to codependency and other maladaptive coping mechanisms, recovery can be a matter of life or death. Physical rock bottom can be a point of no return ranging from overdose to suicide. But emotional and spiritual rock bottom can be an opportunity for enlightenment and a new way of life. Many people find recovery during or just after one of these dark nights of the soul.

Jillian experienced rock bottom after betrayal from her ex-fiance two weeks into her recovery journey. The pain was excruciating but thankfully led to a powerful awakening and self-awareness needed for deep healing to begin. She was willing to do whatever it took to avoid such acute pain again. Gradually, because of the support and tools of recovery, she was able to shift from viewing herself as a victim of others’ behaviors to acknowledging that she allowed unacceptable behavior. Recovery has taught her boundaries which protect her from the pain and resentment she so frequently experienced in the past. Most importantly, she’s learned to focus on her behavioral patterns that have hurt her and others.

Dominick’s rock bottom began with several emotional rock bottoms. He recounts the negative impact of his drinking on his job, relationships and finances. After a DWI and spending a night in jail, he began to contemplate suicide. It took the physical rock bottom in the form of a health crisis and being near death for him to accept he had a problem. Shortly after, he got help and found 12-step recovery. He truly believes his Higher Power intervened to save his life. He’s now committed his life to helping others who are battling addiction.

A common challenge with alcoholic-codependent relationships is the codependent tendency to fix or rescue which can prevent the person struggling with alcoholism from feeling the consequences of their actions. This can interfere with the recovery process because hitting rock bottom may be what people need to recognize how dire their addiction is and to seek help. We touch on the difference between enabling and helping which we’ll delve into in a future episode.

It’s easy to isolate when we’re in a state of despair and anguish. We encourage you to stay connected to other people in recovery and to get help.

Please check the resources below for online and in-person support.

Resources

Websites

https://www.211.org/

https://www.samhsa.gov/