Overcoming addiction can seem impossible for those who have been in active addiction for years. Even for those who are in recovery can still feel some form of fear or unease, as if the addiction may still catch up to them.
Here’s the truth: addiction is a trap. At first, you get lured to something you think is just harmless, whether it be drugs, alcohol, or an activity such as gambling or shopping. You tell yourself you can stop anytime or that you’re not hurting anyone.
After all, at first drug use, drinking, or engaging in certain behaviors is fun. It occupies your time, gets your mind off your problems, and you are around awesome people who do the same things you do. You will feel like you belong to a group of people who are like you. They understand you. And that thing you do–it feels liberating.
Until things take a turn for the worse.
Before you know it, you’re down in the dumps in your life and you’re in this viciously destructive cycle. Problems arise on top of the other, your family hates you, and you feel helpless, like there’s not way out. You feel like you can’t overcome addiction, so you just give in.
Being addicted, you may sometimes feel hopeless. During those times you are on your own, a little sober, but maybe still craving and thinking about your next fix, these thoughts may cross your mind. To put things in perspective, here are some reasons why you, an addict or clinically called a person with substance use disorder (PSUD), feel like you can’t overcome addiction.
5 Reasons Addicts Feel Hopeless About Overcoming Addiction
1. Withdrawal. Withdrawal is painful. That’s why this is one of the many driving forces of addiction,especially when it comes to substance addiction. Going without your fix, your drug, can feel like the worst torture that sometimes you feel like you would rather die than be without a hit. Some even panic when they don’t have a stash because they are very afraid of feeling withdrawal.
2. Cravings. For some, it’s hard to stop cravings. It can feel like their life is incomplete, make them cranky, or even bring about depression. And so, they continue with their addiction. With cravings being strong, uncontrollable compulsions, overcoming addiction can seem impossible, even an unwelcome choice.
3. Depression. Addiction, especially with substances like drugs and alcohol, can affect your mental health. This can lead them to feel down and so would go back to their addiction just to cope or feel normal. Some drugs can also make it hard for the brain to feel happiness (anhedonia), and so would just return to addiction to feel some high.
4. Hopelessness. It is indeed a vicious cycle. This sense of hopelessness makes overcoming addiction very hard, but then the two feeds off each other. Even those who have undergone rehab may relapse just because of hopelessness. They feel like they can’t get out of the hole or get their life back and so would go back to addiction.
4. Guilt. Guilt is a big, painful and crippling emotion. This can stop you on your tracks as you try to move forward. You feel you have done so many wrong things and you can’t make things right. And so you turn to your addiction to escape guilt.
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