persistent

What is the bottom? Does an addict have to hit His/Her Bottom in order to want to seek and get help?

keepinon

I can give you my definition...a bottm is where is hurts more to continue the behavior than to stop, a moment of clarity where you see you no longer want the lifestyle you are leading and will do ANYTHING to get better..you SURRENDER and admit that you are not in control and that perhaps others may be able to show you another way...notice how this would apply to the addict as well as the enabler/codie?
My bottom came when I realized that drugs were the problem my daughter had, not a mental health issue, or anger, etc..and that everything I had done had failed..I went to Alanon (very unlike me..not a joiner, don't like rules..know everything!) and LISTENED i did exactly what they told me to do.
My daughters bottom came when she looked at a bag of heroin, thought 'i should do it all and just die" and decided instead that she wanted to live.She willingly went to rehab..they told her to go to sober living after..she did.They tell her what to do there as well and she does it because she wants to be sober. For me..the key to a bottom is the SURRENDER of all the old thinking..I can stop myself, I don't need help, those people don't know what theyare talking about etc..

hope2010

I think rock bottom is a general term since everyones is different. Rock bottom is the situation that forces an addict to assess, view, and make a decision about their lives. I also thought of it as the point to decide that you want to start living again. The problem becomes so bad that even the addict realizes it. I wasn't on the street, or in jail when i hit my rock bottom, my rock bottom was finally just being sick of it all. Sick of the chase, sick of the people, sick of the games. Sick of being sick. Heroin is notorious for putting people on the streets, I didn't have to go to the streets to realize how bad it was making me feel. I am a lucky case though, many people hit really hard rock bottoms, many times involving prison or death. It depends on the person and other co factors

YouWillBe

I am afraid my daughter's bottom will kill ME.

I've seen her go through some horrid stuff and still prefer to live the life she leads. I am constantly afraid for her survival - not only from drugs, but at the hands of those she hangs around.

I think my heart can't take much more - or that it can't possibly get any worse - and then it does.

Bottom can't come fast enough...and yet I'm scared to death of it.

sojourner

A person in early recovery wrote that she knew she did not have the energy to go back to using again.

At some point in my recovery program in Alanon, I had the thought that the path of least resistance for me was to be in Alanon.

So that is a couple of more ways of describing "bottom." I hope there is something on this thread that grabs you.

All problems (big and small) follow predictable steps (as in the 5 stages of grief). One of those steps is a bottom (AKA the breakthrough of denial). So the addict has to hit that step just like any other problem that he/she has in his/her life. What is so troublesome for us family/friends is that we bottom out on their problem way before they do.

Hope that helps.

persistent

Yes Sojourner I have learnered alot from all the post.I now have a clearer understanding of what to expect and look for. As well as what part I should play and things I should stop doing or dont do.Thanks to you all so very much for taking the time out to share your experiences