If you are considering going to treatment, you may have asked yourself how this all started in the first place. How did you become addicted? Try to remember that just because you have an addiction, you are not a bad person. Everyone makes mistakes, but you can move past negative choices and active addiction. You can be sober.

People become addicted because alcohol and drugs cause physical and psychological dependence. The characteristics of substances keep you hooked. The only to make it through physical dependence is to detox your system and get involved in treatment. Treatment gives you time to think and focus on your goals. Treatment also teaches you how to be sober and gives you the tools to recover successfully.

Using alcohol and drugs as a way to cope with negative thoughts and feelings is a common reason why people use. Using substances to deal with pain does not work to permanently get rid of these uncomfortable feelings. The numbing you feel is temporary and the negative thoughts and feelings will still be there once you sober up. The only way to permanently cope with past traumas and pains is to work through them, preferably with the guidance of a sponsor, mentor, counselor, or therapist.

Tolerance and withdrawals are the technical term for what actually keeps you dependent on drugs and alcohol. The longer you use drugs or alcohol, the more you need to feel the same effects. This phenomena is known as tolerance. Withdrawal symptoms are the uncomfortable physical symptoms that occur when you don’t have drugs or alcohol in your system.

You can’t change the fact that you developed a dependency, but you can control the outcome. If you notice withdrawal, tolerance, or problems associated with substance use, you may want to consider recovery. There is no cure for addiction, but there is a way to live a healthy and whole life. This way out is called sobriety and recovery. Going to treatment to address addiction greatly improves your chances at living a sober life.

Try not to beat yourself up if you have an addiction. At The Kimberly Center, we care about your physical and emotional well being. The Kimberly Center can help you navigate the ups and downs of recovery. Call us now at 855-4-KCENTER. We are committed to putting you and your recovery first. At the Kimberly Center, our clients are in trusted hands.