Addiction Wake Up Calls

Oct 15, 2015

Many people who struggle with addiction are slaves to the drug and lifestyle. Even though there are horror stories of drug overdose and ruined lives, many do not recognize or heed the warnings until it is too late. If you are struggling with addiction, please do not wait until it is too late. Contact Renaissance Ranch today to start on your recovery process.

Legal Trouble

Drug or alcohol addiction can lead to legal trouble. Addiction can lead a person to pursue illegal behaviors in pursuit of their drug, such as theft, forging prescriptions, prostitution, and driving under the influence. The court can rule an addict to attend rehab, but they also can penalize the individual with felonies and a lifetime in jail. Almost half of federal arrests are drug-related.

Financial Trouble

Addiction is an expensive hobby, often leading to careless spending habits, debts, repossessed vehicles and foreclosure. Addicts may also lose their job as a result of their lifestyle, losing their income. Drug use can cost thousands of dollars per year.

Serious Accidents

Many addicts experience brushes with death as a result of their addictions. Some get caught in a bad drug deal and are threatened or attacked. Others are critically injured while doing things under the influence (driving, attempting to defy the laws of physics, etc.). In many cases drug overdose cause near-death experiences. This dangerous dance with death can be a catalyst of change in many struggling with addiction.

Sharp Words From Friends or Family

Sometimes, it takes true, but harsh words from a loved one to help them see how far they have fallen. They may be sharp or hurtful, but sometimes they are necessary. Sugar-coating the situation will not help an addict recover, in fact it typically enables the behavior. The truth may estrange a family or friend from the addict, but sometimes it needs to be said.

Death

It may take something as dramatic as a death of a close friend to realize that they, too, could be headed in the same direction. Many people think that they can stop using the addictive substance if they just decided to and do not realize that the drugs or alcohol have rewired their brain. As they watch and experience first hand the pain and suffering caused by overdose or accidents while driving under the influence, they can recognize the painful reality that drug addiction creates.

Lee Williams, LCSW, SUDC is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Substance Use Disorder Counselor. He graduated from the University of Utah with a Master’s Degree in Social Work and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology with Certification in Criminology and Corrections. He is currently working on a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. His professional experience in the field of addiction has been centered on mental health and forensic social work. Lee has actively worked in a 12-step approach to the treatment of substance use disorder for over a decade. In addition to his love for working in the field of addiction, Lee’s greatest joys are in his experiences as a husband and father.
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