When things go wrong in your life—as they no doubt do from time to time—it can be all too easy to fall back on excuses. Leaning into an excuse can be an effort to shift blame to someone else or simply to avoid embarrassment. Excuses can also be employed when you really do not want to do something that you probably should do.
That last use of excuses is often in play when it comes to the need to seek out treatment for a substance use disorder. When you are struggling with drugs or alcohol, the very best thing you can do for yourself is to get into treatment so that you can safely get the substances out of your system and get your recovery journey underway.
But plenty of people hide behind a wall of excuses in order to avoid treatment. Let’s take a look at some of those excuses—and why none of them hold up to scrutiny.
Excuse Number One: I Don’t Really Have a Problem
This excuse is often expressed this way: “I could quit whenever I want to.”
When you think about it, that way of denying you have a problem with drugs or alcohol is a little bit sneaky. It allows you to try to convince others—and yourself—that you are using substances because you want to, rather than because those substances have gotten their hooks into you. If someone asks you to prove that you could quit, you can reply that you simply do not want to stop just now—while still claiming that you absolutely could.
This attempt at deception is seldom convincing, but many people who do not want to seek out treatment lean on it because it gives them the illusion of control over the situation in which they find themselves. It would, of course, be far better to get some help getting control of a substance use disorder.
Excuse Number Two: I Have to Protect My Reputation
This is an excuse that might never be spoken aloud, but that you might get attached to if you are worried about the stigma attached to substance use disorders.
That is certainly a reasonable concern. It is absolutely true that far too many people still think of substance use disorders as failures of character or willpower or faith. If you think that the people in your life might react that way to the news that you are struggling with drugs or alcohol, you might conclude that you are not making an excuse at all but rather making a logical decision based on your particular situation.
It is essential to remember, however, that drugs or alcohol will continue to chip away at your physical and mental health over time. Eventually, you simply will not be able to hide that something is wrong. And when that happens, you might still experience the stigma you were worried about—but it might be made worse as people judge you for not getting control of your problem before everything fell apart. Treatment is the path to reclaiming your life and halting the damage being done by ongoing use of drugs or alcohol.
Excuse Number Three: I Can’t Take the Time to Get Treatment
We all have lots of responsibilities, and it can seem like there simply is no room to take time away—even to get help for a substance use disorder.
In reality, however, when you are using drugs or alcohol, your scheduling challenges are far from your biggest problem. In fact, the longer you wait to get treatment, the more likely it is that you will lose the ability to keep up with your responsibilities.
While you are relying on the idea that you just don’t have time to get help, your most important relationships may fall apart. You might lose your job or flunk out of school. It is far better, then, to have conversations with the key people in your life—your boss, your partner, and others who rely on you—so that you can make the necessary arrangements to allow you to pursue treatment.
No Excuse Is Good Enough to Put Off Treatment
Here is the simple truth: There is no excuse that is good enough to justify not seeking out treatment for a substance use disorder. When you are ready to set any and all excuses aside, Wooded Glen Recovery Center is ready to help you take back control of your life.
Located in Henryville, Indiana, Wooded Glen Recovery Center is dedicated to helping people overcome a substance use problem as well as any mental health disorders that may be in play. Our treatment plans are evidence-based and personalized to your specific needs. We rely on our experience and expertise to ensure you get top-flight care—and that care is always grounded in our commitment to empathy, so you do not have to worry about being judged while you are getting the help you need.
The sooner you get help, the sooner you can claim your life and pursue your goals. We are ready to help when you leave excuses in the past so you can build a brighter future.