It may seem that you currently have plenty of time to sort out your addiction problems. Maybe you are still relatively young or you know people that did not break away from addiction until very late in life? You need to understand that any delay in getting the help you need to break away from alcohol or drugs means that you are taking a huge gamble. In the below paragraphs, we have listed just some of the reasons this procrastination will kill you sooner or later.
1.You’ll Just Get Worse
If your problems were going to just level off then it probably would be okay for you to delay getting the help you need to break away from addiction. This is not how it works though. The chances are that the longer you delay, the worse things are going to get for you. This is because addiction is known to involve a downward spiral; things just keep on getting worse and worse over time. If you continue to drink or use drugs, you will eventually cross a line where it will no longer be possible for you make a full recovery from addiction.
2. Tomorrow Might Be Your Last Day
Most addicts die believing they have plenty of time to sort out their problems. You could suffer a fatal drug overdose at any time, or you could end up losing your life in an accident because you were drunk. Conditions like that of alcoholic liver disease can progress quite far before you notice any symptoms. There is no way to tell when addiction is going to lead to your death, which is why by procrastinating you are playing with fire.
3. If Not Today, Then When?
If you don’t feel willing to break away from addiction today, what makes you think that you will be able to do so at some later date? It could be the case that it will get harder and harder for you to take this step so your procrastination is just worsening your situation. There is no telling how you would feel tomorrow; all you can do is work with what you have today.
A common reason why people trapped in addiction procrastinate is that they misunderstand what is meant by hitting rock bottom. You may be waiting for this ‘special’ day to arrive, when giving up alcohol or drugs will be much easier. This is a complete misunderstanding of what it means to have a rock bottom; it is not something that comes to you but rather it is something that you create for yourself. All hitting rock bottom means is that you have reached a point where you have finally had enough; you can make this decision today and it is strongly advised that you do so.
4.Others
This one might not kill you per se, but it’ll keep your addiction going. It is doubtful only you are suffering because of your addiction problems. Your friends and family may have been harmed by your behaviour, and this will continue for as long as you continue to use alcohol or drugs. There is also the risk that you could cause harm to a stranger while under the influence of these substances. There are many examples of individuals knocking others down in their car, or committing murder while they were intoxicated – would it not be a good idea to escape addiction before something bad like this could happen? And, once you’re clean, there’s almost nothing that can’t be fixed – ask anyone in long-term recovery.
5. Killing Your Potential
Addiction has been robbing you blind; it has been stealing your dreams and siphoning off your potential. You deserve much more than this, but the only way you could begin living the life you were meant to live is by breaking away from the substance abuse. The longer you wait to do this, the more of your life will be lost. There is just no benefit in continuing with alcohol or drug abuse as you have lost enough already.
6. Killing Your Body and Mind
Your body adapts as best it can, but all these mind-altering substances are toxic. This means that by abusing them you are causing damage to your body organs and mental wellbeing. If you stop right now, you may be able to completely undo the damage that has already been done. Even your liver can recover up until a certain point. The problem with procrastinating is that you may soon cross a line whereby it is no longer going to be possible to fully regain your mental and physical health.
7. Procrastination = Addiction Winning
Procrastination is part of the addictive process; it is just another form of denial. The part of your thinking that supports this behaviour will always come up with excuses why you should delay getting help. The scary thing is that a part of your thinking is working against you. It is therefore vital that you become willing to turn the tables on addiction; you do this by getting help for your problems without any further delay.
Don’t Die Because of Procrastination – Beat Your Addiction Today!
The hardest part of taking action to end addiction is the very first step. Once you have made the decision to change your life, it all becomes so much easier. Plenty of people are ready to help you build a new life, and all the resources you need to do this are available. This is going to be nowhere near as difficult as the struggle you see within your mind.
Procrastination means you want to remain in your comfort zone but the truth is that any comfort you may feel you have is just an illusion. It is going to be far more painful for you to remain as you are rather than it would be to take the necessary steps to break away from addiction. You are not doing yourself any favours by procrastinating – if you want the easy way out, you need to stop procrastinating.
