Belief in this \u201crock bottom\u201d can keep people who are struggling from reaching out for help. It can also keep family, friends, and care providers from addressing the issue when they have been wrongly told that the disease has to \u201crun its course\u201d and that they should practice \u201ctough love\u201d until a person hits bottom\u2014when they will be ready and willing to engage in treatment.<\/p>\n
But these ideas aren\u2019t backed by science, and not everyone survives the fall.<\/p>\n
You shouldn\u2019t wait for the worst to happen\u2014or a profound moment of awakening\u2014before seeking treatment or helping a loved one, even if they don\u2019t feel \u201cready.\u201d Decades of research has proven that the earlier someone is treated, the better their outcomes and that treatment works just as well for patients who are compelled to start treatment by outside forces as it does for those who are self-motivated to enter treatment.<\/p>\n
There is an excellent video that discusses this issue produced by Addiction Policy Forum. Click below for more information.<\/p>\n