This article was published on April 21st, 2018

Are you stuck in a rut and feeling like there is no way out? Are drugs or alcohol a part of your everyday life and you are looking for a way out? Admitting you have a problem is the first step to solving that issue. Here are 7 signs that it’s time to check yourself into a treatment center to help you through your drugs/alcohol addition, and why it’s important that you do it now.

1. You can’t remember the last time you didn’t drink/use/or were sober. If you cannot get through a day or week without engaging in your particular vice, it’s time to put the brakes on and check yourself into some kind of rehabilitation. The sooner you do so, the better, as drugs and alcohol have life-long lasting effects from everyday use.
2. You cause yourself or others physical or emotional harm. The second you realize that you have become a toxic person that is literally doing more harm than good to yourself or the people around you, it is time to admit you need help and seek treatment. If you can realize that you have become a bad person, then you aren’t completely lost.
3. Your memory has faded or you are/have blacked out. A common side effect to too much drug or alcohol consumption is a loss of short term memory and could be a sign that you need to seek treatment immediately.
4. Friends, family members, or colleagues have said they think you have a problem. It isn’t always easy to listen to the people around you, especially if they are flawed themselves. But when all your loved ones or the people closest to you tell you they think you need treatment, take it for the intervention that it is and get help.
5. People have cut you out of their lives due to your problems with alcohol or drugs. A red-flag-indicator light should be going off in your head that it is time to seek treatment when people have admittedly removed themselves from your life due to your substance use.
6. If you know you cannot quit / or get better on your own. Addiction is a disease that can kill you if left untreated, but knowing this should also help you realize that, for the most part, you cannot get better on your own. If you cannot quit your vices on your own, it is ok to ask for help and to seek treatment.
7. If you are feeling suicidal, contemplating death, or cannot get over feeling depressed. If you are feeling depressed to the point of feeling like suicide or death is the only way to handle your pain, you need to reach out to someone that can help and obtain treatment. Just remember that you are loved, and there are trained professionals and rehab facilities that can help you get better.

Getting help for drug or alcohol addiction is important. You may need to take some time away from work or school, and separate yourself from friend and loved ones, but your greater health needs to be put as a priority. There’s no shame in asking for help. Getting help can put you on a bright and prosperous path for the future.