You might think the only requirement for entering residential treatment in Iowa for substance use disorder (SUD) is reaching your lowest point. But you never need to wait to hit rock bottom to get help. Feeling broken, hopeless, or permanently defeated is not a prerequisite for healing. At St. Gregory Recovery Center, we welcome people to our Des Moines and Bayard locations, no matter where they are in their SUD management.
This blog can help you or your loved ones understand what rock bottom really means, how it may look for you and your recovery mindset, and why waiting for it isn’t necessary to benefit from treatment.
What Is Rock Bottom?
Because rock bottom is more of a personal feeling, it isn’t a medical diagnosis or a defined moment in the scientific and healthcare communities. For you, hitting rock bottom may mean losing your job or time with your family. For others, rock bottom might look like a legal issue, a health scare or overdose, or seeing your relationships with friends or community members suffer. For your loved one, it may look like them being unable to recognize you. These types of situations may help spark change in you, but they don’t have to be the only factor in your decision to enter treatment.
Reasons to Choose Recovery Before Rock Bottom
The following are some reasons to choose recovery:
- Substance use disorders usually get worse over time, so treatment works best when it starts early.
- You may think that you can only genuinely want recovery when the disorder becomes unbearable, but that idea can delay the help you truly need.
- Something as ordinary as a conversation, a letter, or a moment of concern from a friend is enough to begin a journey toward recovery.
- Simple encouragement from family or an employee could be as effective as self-motivation when it comes to entering and completing treatment for long-term recovery.
- Some researchers argue that rock bottom is too vague to define, and that waiting for people to declare their own bottom could delay help or contribute to relapse.
- One SAMHSA study even found that individuals who actually feel they need treatment could still choose not to go, often because they didn’t feel ready despite hitting their lowest point.
Rock Bottom: Useful vs. Unnecessary
The idea of rock bottom can feel useful to many because it can trigger a wake-up call, pointing a large neon arrow toward a recovery center and therapy. But the pain and drama that may come with rock-bottom feelings are avoidable.
Consider some of these rock-bottom scenarios and ask yourself if you need to experience them to get help.
- You lost your job after repeated substance use at work. The shock of losing steady income or a job that you really enjoyed might force you to reflect and finally reach out for help. But unemployment or financial hardship doesn’t have to be the catalyst for controlling your SUD. If your drinking or using even slightly affects your performance or your work relationships and opportunities, that’s reason enough to get support.
- You entered the hospital after an overdose or injury. A medical crisis can definitely feel like a turning point, but not everyone values or considers their health enough to get treatment just because they have a hospital visit. Other people may notice ongoing fatigue, sleep issues, general malaise, or mental fog that follows frequent substance use, reason enough to get help and address issues before they escalate.
You’re isolated, your substance use strains your relationships, and you feel ashamed. The need for change can stem from small, subtle events that help generate renewable motivation. The transtheoretical model maps out how people change their behaviors over time, showing that negative consequences can and often do push you toward action. So, even when you experience social-emotional low points that don’t radically alter your day-to-day, those moments can help cause change, especially if you notice how much of a negative impact your substance use has on those around you.
Overall, it’s important to remember that all of the above situations don’t have to be your reality. You don’t need to wait until you feel wrecked. The simple act of recognizing that your substance use negatively affects your life—even a little—is enough to start.
Build Yourself Up After Rock Bottom in Iowa
At St. Gregory Recovery Center, we never need you to feel like you’re in a dark place to receive effective treatment. You only need to desire change. If you’re looking for support, structure, and a fresh start, we have the family, individual, or outpatient treatment programs that can help you move forward. Let us help you take that first step with care and compassion. Contact us to learn how we can support you or your loved one in getting better.
