For some, asking for help with anything is difficult. Maybe you’re embarrassed or feel like you’ll be exposed as a failure. For others, admitting they need help feels like a sign of weakness. Depending on your upbringing and surroundings, you might have been conditioned to avoid displaying any such signs at all costs.

When the problem you need help with is addiction, additional factors come into play. What will people think about you or your family? Will you lose your job? These fears can lead people to come up with a variety of excuses to delay seeking treatment. Let’s look at 7 of the most common excuses drug addicts use and how you can overcome them.

Excuse #1 – “I Don’t Have a Problem”

This is probably the #1 excuse used by people struggling with addiction. Denial is a powerful thing. Those fears we mentioned earlier can work in the back of your mind to keep you from confronting the reality of your situation.

Be real with yourself. Is your habit causing negative consequences in personal relationships, at work or with your health? Have you tried to stop or even just reduce how often you use only to fall back into the same destructive routine? These are signs that you need help.

Excuse #2 – “The Only Person I’m Harming is Myself”

When your days are consumed with thoughts of finding your next high, you’re unplugged from the family, friends and co-workers around you. As you let your responsibilities slip, others are having to pick up the slack. Your actions can cause legal, financial, physical and emotional damage to those you love.

Excuse #3 – “I Can’t Afford Treatment”

Many people who get wrapped up in addiction find themselves struggling financially.  The prospect of paying for an extended stay in a residential rehab facility can seem overwhelming. However, most insurance carriers cover some level of substance abuse treatment. Some programs offer scholarships or payment plans to help those without insurance.

Excuse #4 – “My Life Is Unbearable Without Drugs”

If you turned to a substance to deal with unresolved trauma, anxiety, depression or other painful circumstances, it can feel like there aren’t any other answers. The truth is, addiction only makes matters worse. Drugs and alcohol alter the natural biological processes in place for regulating emotions and brain activity.

Withdrawals can push the pain you were previously feeling to even more uncomfortable levels. Dual diagnosis treatment can help you recover from the combination of mental health issues and addiction.

Excuse #5 – “All My Friends Use, and I Don’t Want to Be Alone”

When you’ve been mired in addiction, you may feel as though the only people who truly understand you are those trapped in the same situation. The thought of leaving those relationships behind can be scary. However, when you enter treatment, you will find there are other people who can identify with where you are and where you have been in your struggles. You can develop new, healthier friendships where substance abuse isn’t the motivation for spending time together.

Excuse #6 – “I Tried Treatment Before and Ended Up Using Again”

Relapse is an unfortunately common experience for many trying to recover from addiction. That doesn’t mean that treatment is ineffective. It merely underlines how difficult it can be to heal from this disease. But even those who relapse multiple times are still capable of achieving recovery.

Excuse #7 – “My Family Needs Me Here”

That’s right. Your family does need you: the version of you before addiction began stripping away your judgment, personality and health. They want you to get better, and rehab can help them heal from addiction as well.

Stop Making Excuses and Start Making Progress

The textbook definition of an excuse is a reason used to justify a fault or offense. Stop trying to rationalize something that you know is causing yourself and those you love unjust harm.

At Footprints Beachside Recovery, we help people understand the nature of addiction and its underlying causes. Our program can provide you with the tools you need to reduce the risk of relapse and regain control of your life. Talk to one our admissions specialists today and learn how you can begin healing from addiction.