Where to Turn When You ‘Hit Rock Bottom’

Many people have heard the term “rock bottom” before and may have their preconceived notions of what it means. Many of these notions are understandably negative. However, it is also important to understand that rock bottom can also be what someone needs to start their journey of recovery. Rock bottom is also known by many as the “gift of desperation.” 

Healing at the Cellular Level

So, what exactly does it mean to heal at the cellular level? It means to heal the entire mind, body, and soul. Many recovery centers focus on one, but it is critical for recovery that all aspects of the capital “S” Self be addressed: the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

Healing at the cellular level also means healing holistically. Many people think of the term “holistic” as only associating with Eastern medicines (and, yes, this is also true). However, in a broader sense, holistic also means “whole.” So, holistic healing simply means to heal the whole self. One important aspect of doing this is getting to one’s underlying issues.

Getting to One’s Underlying Issues: The Root/Core Causes of Addiction

Many people are under the misconception that addiction starts and ends with the drink or the drug. However, this is not the case. Many people in the recovery realm agree that the drink and the drug are merely “symptoms” of a deeper underlying disease of addiction.

Many people in recovery also utilize the phrase, “It’s more about the thinking than it is the drinking.” This is because addiction happens more internally than it does externally (though, of course, putting down the drink or the drug is critical). It is also critical to have a better understanding of what exactly addiction is.

Better Understanding Addiction

As previously mentioned, addiction is a disease. For far too long, addiction has been stigmatized as some type of moral failing or “choice.” According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “Although substance use disorders are chronic and treatable medical conditions, studies show people with these disorders still face discrimination and stigma (a set of negative attitudes and stereotypes) that can impact their health and well-being in numerous ways. This stigma also affects people who use drugs who do not have a substance use disorder.” Also, “[S]tigma often factors into the reasons why people who need help do not seek care.” The good news is that there are institutions that are addressing the stigmas surrounding addiction. 

According to the peer-reviewed journal Current Opinion in Psychiatry, “Substance use disorders (SUDs), or addiction, are complex disorders that affect brain function and behavior, are characterized by impaired functioning and considerable harm to the individuals with the disorders and to society as a whole. Although evidence-based treatments exist, a large gap exists between the number of those with this disorder and those who receive treatment. To address this gap, the National Institute of Drug Abuse has recently identified understanding and decreasing the stigma of SUD as a major priority.” It is also important to understand that people cannot get help for addiction if they don’t know the signs or symptoms.

The Signs and Symptoms of Addiction

The signs and symptoms of addiction are always going to vary based on the individual. However, one can look out for many universal signs and symptoms of addiction. The following are just a few of those signs and symptoms:

• Experiencing physical ailments such as headaches, body aches, and gastrointestinal problems
• Having feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and helplessness
• Not being able to stop once starting drinking or using substances
• Feeling anxious, nervous, or overly “stressed out”
• Having trouble with sleep cycles, including sleeping too much and not sleeping enough (hypersomnia and insomnia)
• Losing interest in activities once enjoyed
• Isolating away from family and close friends
• Experiencing trouble at work or school
• Loss of appetite and a lack of care regarding physical appearance and wellbeing
• Exhibiting excessive mood swings
• Causing harm to oneself or others
• Having suicidal ideations

Often, people minimize addiction, stigmatize it, or falsely categorize it as that previously mentioned “choice.” However, as one can see, these signs and symptoms are significant and can be deadly. This is why reaching out for professional help as soon as possible is vital. Doing so could mean the difference between short-term side effects and long-term consequences. It may also help one avoid hitting rock bottom or getting the help they need after hitting rock bottom.

What Does It Mean to Hit Rock Bottom?

Hitting rock bottom means ending up at one’s lowest point of their addiction. Often, this means the loss of family, friends, and jobs. However, it does not have to mean this exactly. Everyone’s rock bottom is different. 

This is why the terms “high bottom” and “low bottom” exist. It means that someone’s bottom may be an “emotional bottom” in which they hit their lowest emotional point but don’t lose relationships or material possessions (this may be called a high bottom). Now, a low bottom is one where someone may end up physically ill (near death), experience a loss of all material possessions and familial relationships, and have nowhere else to turn.

It is also important to remember another very important factor when it comes to rock bottom and addiction. With addiction, there is always a chance of having a “lower bottom.” This is because active addiction is a progressive disease that will often only cease when one is “in jail, an institution, or dead.” The good news is that, with the right help, one may never have to experience rock bottom again.

Where to Turn When You Hit Rock Bottom

When it comes to rock bottom, it is important to remember that even being aware of being at rock bottom is a start. This awareness represents an opportunity to get the critical addiction help that one needs. It is an open window for help. However, that window often closes quickly.

This is why it is the perfect time to stage an intervention when one hits rock bottom. An intervention is a plan that is put together by friends and family to help their loved ones recover from addiction. It is a time and a place where the family gets to tell their loved one how they have been affected by their addiction. This is important because not only is addiction a disease, but it is a “family disease.”

Addiction as a family disease simply means that addiction affects many more people than just the individual who is struggling. It is also important to remember that there is a lot of toxic co-dependence when it comes to addiction. The good news is that there are many effective means, methods, and modalities that can help the entire family recover. The key is finding the right recovery center.

Recovering From Rock Bottom: Finding the Right Treatment Center

In recent years, the recovery and treatment center industry has become worth multi-billions of dollars. While this certainly has its positive side, of having more places for people to recover, there are also some negatives. One of the most dangerous aspects of this recovery boom is that there are many predatory bad actors who are more concerned about their financial bottom line than they are about the well-being of their clients.

These are also the recovery centers that only offer “one-size-fits-all” treatment plans rather than individualized or comprehensive care. This is because it is easier and less expensive. Unfortunately, it also rarely works to heal individuals at the cellular level.

Recovering From Rock Bottom: Individualized Addiction Care

Here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we understand the importance of individualized care. As the father of Western medicine, Hippocrates, famously said, “It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease than to know what sort of disease a person has.”

This why, at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we rigorously get to know our clients from the very start (our intake process). We learn about much more than the addiction diagnosis and focus on family dynamics, genetics, environments, occupational and educational struggles, and one’s goals for the future. We also ensure that each client gets the right recovery plan with the right modalities. That is our promise of comprehensive care.

Recovering From Rock Bottom: Comprehensive Addiction Care

Recovering from rock bottom takes a lot of work. It often starts with a safe and secure detox process. Many people don’t realize just how depleted the mind and body are when one stops drinking and/or using and enters recovery. This is why one’s system must be fully replenished during detox.

Here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we ensure that all of our clients are physically rejuvenated by utilizing pharmaceutical-grade supplements and infusion therapy (upon request). Glutathione infusions, for example, can be highly beneficial.

According to the peer-reviewed journal Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal, “It is hard to overstate the importance of glutathione…. It plays a crucial role in shielding cellular macromolecules from endogenous and exogenous reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. While it directly quenches some free radicals, of perhaps greater importance is that it deals directly with the causes of oxidative stress such as mercury and POPs [persistent organic pollutants].” These types of infusions also work well alongside other modalities like eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and other psychotherapies.

Recovering From Rock Bottom: Psychotherapy and EMDR

The benefits of EMDR and psychotherapy are vast and varied. They help to get to the underlying issues that can lead to one’s addiction. These are also the issues that must be addressed if one is to recover from their rock bottom. EMDR can be particularly beneficial because it is non-invasive and offers many benefits. 

According to the peer-reviewed Permanente Journal, “A substantial body of research shows that adverse life experiences contribute to both psychological and biomedical pathology. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an empirically validated treatment for trauma, including such negative life experiences as commonly present in medical practice. The positive therapeutic outcomes rapidly achieved without homework or detailed description of the disturbing event offer the medical community an efficient treatment approach with a wide range of applications.” Being non-invasive and non-time consuming also allows EMDR to work well with other experiential therapies like surf therapy.

Recovering From Rock Bottom: Surf Therapy

A mere 15-minute journey from our luxury 30-acre property sits one of the best surf breaks on the Hamakua Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island. Here, one can catch some of the best waves in the world while meditating between breaks as tropical fish and sea turtles swim below. People who don’t wish to surf can also boogie board.

Surf therapy has been shown to be highly beneficial. According to the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Psychology, “One environmental context that has received less attention is water-based physical activity, with researchers suggesting that swimming and other water-based activities (e.g., kayaking, surfing) may provide superior benefits for the promotion of human well-being due to greater affordances. These activities have heightened the psychological benefits (e.g., reduced anxiety, depression, and perceived stress, increased positive affect, and increased quality of life) associated with exercise and nature among US war veterans. Further, there is increasing evidence suggesting that participation in action and adventure sports, such as surfing, is meaningful and life-enhancing.”

There are also many other effective types of experiential therapy, such as nature-immersion therapy. Nature has long been known to help individuals heal. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “Individuals living and interacting in green spaces (GS) report being more energetic, in good overall health and, have more of a sense of meaningful purpose in life. Current scientific findings are illuminating what humans intuitively know: nature has great benefits for the human brain, and this is shown through increased happiness, health/well-being, and cognition[.]”

Recovering From Rock Bottom: Holistic Healing Methods

There are also many holistic healing methods that can help one recover after hitting rock bottom. One such method is yoga therapy. 

The iconic yogi and spiritual leader B.K.S. Iyengar famously said, “As animals, we walk the earth. As bearers of divine essence, we are among the stars. As human beings, we are caught in the middle, seeking to reconcile the paradox of how to make our way upon earth while striving for something more permanent and more profound.” This is the essence of yoga and healing at the cellular level. 

Yoga therapy offers an opportunity to find a greater sense of balance, some emotional stability, strength and flexibility, and some essential serenity. Other holistic healing methods that also offer some of these benefits are mindfulness meditation, massage therapy, acupuncture, aromatherapy, and reiki.

Recovering From Rock Bottom: Working With Others

It is also important to work with others in recovery after hitting rock bottom. This is why the sponsor/sponsee relationship is so crucial in 12-Step recovery. 

Also, it is why attending regular recovery meetings can be so beneficial. Working with others can make recovery fun and meaningful, while also reducing the risks of a potential relapse. As it states in the primary text of 12-Step recovery (commonly referred to as the Big Book), “Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends – this is an experience you must not miss. We know you will not want to miss it.”

Healing at the Cellular Level With Exclusive Hawaii Rehab

Here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we believe in long-term success over short-term “fixes.” This is why we only offer individualized and comprehensive treatment plans that focus on the future.

Rock bottom does not have to mean the end. It can mean a new beginning. Recovery is out there. The key is to go out and get it.

Many people don’t understand just how hopeless “rock bottom” can feel and how it can be difficult to pull oneself out of it. However, “rock bottom” often offers the “gift of desperation” many people need to begin their recovery journey. The good news is there are many effective ways to acquire successful long-term recovery. If you feel like you or a loved one is struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or both, we can help get you on the right road to recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this process alone. For more information about addiction and recovery, please reach out to Exclusive Hawaii Rehab today at (808) 775-0200.