How to Begin The Path to Sobriety
If you’re struggling with a heroin addiction and even if you’re contemplating sobriety, getting help might feel overwhelming. You might wonder who to go to, what to say, and how to begin. You might be wondering how to pull yourself from under the weight of the addiction. Perhaps this article might help. Perhaps there are one or two ideas or thoughts in here that might support you in moving forward.
Across the country, there are thousands of people who are fighting a heroin addiction. In fact, some of them might have already lost a friend, brother, or parent to heroin. There are many people who have witnessed a death to heroin and yet it doesn’t stop them from using themselves.
This indicates that addiction is a powerful force. Some might be able to stop when they’ve come close to overdose. Others might be able to stop when they see a friend die. And yet, others might be so trapped in the addiction that coming close to death – whether their own or someone else’s death – doesn’t stop them.
Asking for Support in Help for Addiction
One way to begin is to talk to someone you trust. This might be a friend, family member, or someone else you feel you can confide in. It’s best to talk to someone who is not using heroin or any other substances. Someone who is trapped in addiction themselves isn’t going to have enough clarity to guide you in the right direction. It would be best to talk to someone who is sober and has been sober for a number of years.
Even if this person is not a mental health provider, that’s okay. Just talking out your thoughts and feelings can be incredibly helpful, and it can be a great way to begin. In fact, many people feel afraid to speak to a therapist or psychologist right away. And if this is the case, then talking to someone else to begin can ease that anxiety.
As you’re talking to this person and getting your feelings out, you might realize what to do next. It might dawn on you that you want to talk to a mental health professional. Or you might get an insight that if you don’t get help now, you’re going to get ill and sick sooner than you hoped.
After you’ve spoken to one person, you might have more confidence to talk to a professional who can help you.
How a Professional Can Help
If and when you’re ready to speak to a professional, there are a number of mental health providers who are ready to support you. And they are on your side. They want to support your well being. Keeping that in mind might help ease any anxiety or stress you have about talking to them.
It’s common for people entering addiction treatment to feel conscientious about talking about their addiction. But you’ll find that most mental health professionals are completely non-judgmental and entirely accepting.
The most important thing to know is to do something. If you don’t do anything about your heroin addiction, it’s likely to get worse. It might feel more and more difficult to get out from underneath it. If you’re thinking about sobriety, then take the first step in talking to someone you trust.