“What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?” – Phil Connors (Bill Murray in Groundhog Day,1993)
Anyone who suffers with addiction can relate to this quote on any day of the year not just Groundhog Day. You open your eyes and think to yourself, “where is my stash?” Quickly looking for your fix and if you can’t find it, the first thing on your list of priorities for the day becomes finding it as soon as possible. You spend the majority of the day trying to get your fix and once you do the thought changes to when you can get the next fix. It is a never-ending process, especially for those who abuse their substances to “treat” co-occurring disorders they had before the abuse or that even developed because of the abuse. These disorders can be mood or personality disorders and are very common. Mood disorders included depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. Some common personality disorders include antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, and paranoid personality disorder. An important thing to note is that the mood disorder depression can also be a result of the seasonal changes, for more information about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) click here.
Mood Disorders & Substance Abuse
Having a mood or personality disorder and coping with it by using different substances is just adding fuel to the fire. The underlying problem never gets taken care of and the substance abuse just makes it worse, which makes the substance abuse worse, in a never ending vicious cycle. When someone gets caught up in this cycle it is hard for them to notice just how bad things have gotten because they are so concentrated on either their disorder or getting their fix. Some people may feel like once this cycle has started there is nothing else to do but go along with it, they simply feel like they are doing the same thing over and over with no better outcome. However, there is a way to break the cycle. Instead of waking up and only thinking about your fix or your disorder, you could wake up and feel excitement for what the day holds, you can feel healthy instead of sick because your body has already started to withdrawal from your substance, and you can have priorities and plans other than just getting your fix. Just because you suffer with addiction or with any co-occurring disorders, it doesn’t mean it has to control or ruin your life. There are thousands of people who control their disorders and maintain their sobriety. These people woke up one day and instead of looking for another fix they decided they wanted out of the vicious cycle, they wanted out of their Groundhog Day. They wanted to wake up on a different day, a new day, a day that mattered, a day they never thought they’d see. After doing the same thing every other day, they tried something different, and got their new day. They got their tomorrow.
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Not only did they get their tomorrow but they got many tomorrows, many months, many years, and many opportunities that they wouldn’t have if they kept using their drug. The lifetime of someone who is sober is longer than that of someone who abuses drugs and alcohol, these people literally got time added to their lives for just simply stopping their abuse. This is especially true for those who participate in even riskier behaviors such as polydrug use, criminal acts to pay for their substance, those who do not have places to stay, and those who use and/or share needles. It’s never too late to find treatment and start your recovery from addiction. It’s time for a new day, time for you to wake up to a new future and new opportunities. You don’t have to wait until you hit rock bottom, or you overdose and have a near death experience, you don’t have to wait to you get arrested and go to jail. You can wake up today and try for something new and better. You can want better for yourself, you can turn things around for yourself, and you can end the cycle. Treatment is just a phone call away. Treatment offers you the help you need to detox from your substance in a safe and healthy way. Treatment for your co-occurring disorders is also administered while you learn how to handle your addiction and new tools to stay maintain lifelong sobriety. You will also find support within treatment and after, with aftercare programs and alumni groups. Treatment isn’t a lone venture, you will have help and support from a multitude of people. With all these things, available to you, there is no reason that you can’t wake up to a new tomorrow.
Want to stop reliving the same day in addiction over and over?
If you’re ready to end the cycle of addiction and live a life that’s free from substance abuse, reach out now. Our trained admissions coordinators can help find out which level of care is best for your specific situation. They can review your benefits and find out if your insurance will cover any costs associated with addiction treatment. Contact us here or call 1-888-986-7848.
