“Rock bottom” is the idea that we can hit a low enough point in our lives that we are finally motivated to seek help. When we a reach a point when we feel that things cannot get any worse, we realize that something needs to be done to escape the painful predicament. Rock bottom is often the necessary catalyst for one to seek recovery.Rock bottom is a concept that varies from person to person. For some, their lowest point will include things like job loss, failed relationships, legal problems, or homelessness. For others, hitting bottom is a state of spiritual emptiness, when a person comes to realize that they cannot continue on the cycle of addiction. Megan Grant, in a 2017 Bustle article entitled The Complicated Psychology of ‘Hitting Rock Bottom,’ explains, “Something powerful happens when you hit rock bottom: you experience a new kind of self-realization. You finally realize you’re in significant pain and have lost too much. This sense of realization isn’t something you’re typically aware of when you’re caught up in the storm; instead, it will frequently appear when you’re sitting there empty-handed, wondering, ‘What’s left?’ Sometimes, we have to lose everything that matters to finally see clearly.” When we realize that we cannot go any lower, we develop the willingness to seek help. The concept of rock bottom can be troublesome. Men and women considering getting help may look at others who are worse off than them and think that they haven’t experienced rock bottom and do not need to get help. Peg O’Connor, in a 2014 Psychology Today article entitled What’s Wrong with ‘Rock Bottom,’ explains, “I worry that people assume that hitting this rock bottom is the only way that people will ever attempt to make significant changes. There’s a belief that hitting this bottom will necessarily prompt a change. This way of thinking may perversely and ironically keep a person from seeking help earlier, when the problem may not be as serious.” In active addiction, things can always be worse. Rock bottom truly occurs when we finally decide to stop digging ourselves deeper into addiction and turn our attention to seeking help.
Your story can become one of health and happiness in sobriety. You can embark upon the rewarding journey of recovery by making the decision to seek help now. Oceanfront Recovery, located in beautiful Laguna Beach, is staffed with caring and compassionate professionals dedicated to helping clients develop all the tools needed to achieve and maintain a fulfilling life of sobriety. For information about individualized treatment options, please call today: (877) 279-1777
