Intro
Rock Bottom is a term often associated with addiction. But the term can also be associated with mental health problems. For a lot of people, mental health and addiction go hand in hand. In this blog post, we’re going to explore signs you’ve hit Rock Bottom with mental health or addiction. But first, we need to understand what Rock Bottom looks like in both areas.
Rock Bottom with addiction
In terms of addiction, Rock Bottom can mean you’re at the lowest of the low. Your addiction rules your life and you’re fully dependent on the substance you’re abusing. It feels like your addiction is controlling you. You may want to change but feel that you can’t. Areas of your life, like relationships, finances, and work are being affected negatively by it. And you can’t see a way out of the hole you’re in.
Rock Bottom with mental health
When you’re at Rock Bottom with your mental health it can mean that you’re sick and tired of feeling the way you do. You’re desperate for change, but nothing seems to work, and you feel you’ve exhausted all your options. It can also feel like there is no hope for the present or your future. Day-to-day life becomes extremely difficult as you feel like you have no energy to do what you need to do. You can feel like you just want to lay in bed all day or isolate yourself from the world to suffer alone.
At Rock Bottom there is always hope!
There is nothing wrong with hitting Rock Bottom. Often doing so can spark massive positive change in your life. When things feel as if they can’t get any worse, small improvements can have huge benefits. Everybody’s journey is different, but with time your life can and will get better.
5 signs you’ve hit Rock Bottom with mental health
1. You start to think about suicide
When you hit rock bottom with your mental health, thoughts of suicide can start creeping in. This can be because you feel there is no other way to escape the rut that you’re trapped in. Or you feel like you’re being a burden to those around you and they’d be better off without you. However, these thoughts are not true! You’re a loved human being with so much potential to offer the world. Suicide is never the answer. It’s a permanent solution to temporary problems.
If you’re struggling with thoughts of suicide, please speak to a medical professional or a loved one. You can also check out these pages:
US and CA: https://988lifeline.org/
UK: https://www.spuk.org.uk/national-suicide-prevention-helpline-uk/
2. You stop caring for your hygiene
A big sign that you’ve hit Rock Bottom is when you stop caring for your hygiene. Often the thought of brushing your teeth or taking a shower is overwhelming and daunting. It feels like you just don’t have the energy to perform these tasks, so you don’t. This is also a sign often associated with depression.
3. You avoid everyone to be alone
Hitting Rock Bottom can be a very lonely place. When you’re on a downward spiral it’s easy to alienate yourself from everyone. The thought of being with people can be overwhelming as you don’t want them to know you’re struggling. You can also feel like no one will be able to help your situation so you must suffer alone.
4. You constantly feel you have no energy
When you hit Rock Bottom, it can feel as if it’s drained you of all your energy. Tasks like getting out of bed or going to work feel impossible, as you don’t have the energy to do so. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how long you’ve slept; you still feel exhausted. Often, you choose to spend the day in bed or on the sofa, as you feel you haven’t got the energy to manage anything else.
5. You feel hopeless
Feelings of hopelessness and despair are a big sign of Rock Bottom. You feel as if there is nothing in the present moment you can do to improve your situation. It also sucks your hope for the future, as you feel there is no way of your life improving. Day-to-day life can get increasingly harder as you believe there is no purpose to your days.
5 signs you’ve hit Rock Bottom with addiction
1. You’re dependent on your substance of choice
Hitting Rock Bottom with addiction can mean that you’re fully dependent on a substance. You feel as if you can’t function without it, so you use daily as much as possible. If you must go without the substance, you get angry or irritated. Or experience other withdrawal symptoms. Often you feel as if you can’t live without it and other areas of your life become neglected so you can use it.
2. You’re ashamed of your use
When you hit Rock Bottom with addiction, you can feel ashamed of your substance use. You know what you’re doing isn’t good for you, but you continue to justify your use by lying to yourself. You might say things like ‘Just once more, I’ll stop next week’ or ‘I haven’t got a problem, I just need this to make myself feel better’. The longer you justify your actions, the more ashamed of your use you become.
3. You avoid people to use alone
You may have first started using socially whilst out with your mates. But when you hit Rock Bottom with addiction, you opt to avoid friends and family so you can use alone. This can be because you want to hide your addiction, so people don’t worry. Or because you’re ashamed of your use and don’t want people to know the extent of your problems.
4. Your finances are impacted by your use
When you’re at your lowest with addiction it can drain you of all the money you have. As your need for use gets higher and more frequent, the cost also increases. You start prioritizing your substance over more important things like rent, groceries, and bills. It can also lead you to borrow money you can’t repay. Or taking drugs on credit you know you can’t afford.
5. Your work is impacted by your use
When addiction has a hold over you, all you want to do is get high or wasted. This usually has an impact on your job or career. You start calling in sick or just not showing up at all, so you can use. This can lead to disciplinary action from your employer. Or even losing your job altogether. Sometimes your behaviour can become more reckless and you use it at work to ‘help you through the day’ This type of behaviour only endangers you and those around you.
Conclusion
When you hit Rock Bottom, the only way is up! Hitting Rock Bottom is often a catalyst for people to spark real positive change in their lives. When your life can’t sink any further, small improvements can have a huge impact on you. You must accept where you are and take ownership of your life. No one can help you as much as you can help yourself. Start envisioning the type of person you want to become. Begin by taking small steps each day to get there and start your journey upwards!