203 - Don't make these 5 excuses for going to treatment for your drug addiction203 - Don't make these 5 excuses for going to treatment for your drug addiction
Real Recovery Talk
Tom Conrad and Benjamin B. break down five common excuses people use to avoid addiction treatment and link them all back to fear. Through personal stories and practical examples, they show how work, family and legal worries can be handled more safely by choosing treatment sooner rather than later.
31:38•19 Jun 2022
Stop the Excuses: Why Treatment Can’t Wait for Addiction
Episode Overview
- Excuses for avoiding treatment are usually driven by fear, even when they sound practical or logical.
- Many employees have legal protections and options like medical leave or short-term disability when seeking help for addiction.
- Families almost always know there is a problem and are often relieved when their loved one goes to treatment.
- Being proactive with legal issues and entering treatment can significantly change how courts respond to addiction-related charges.
- Loved ones can help by offering steady support and reassurance that choosing treatment is a positive and respected decision.
“"You can't save your face and your ass at the same time."”
How do individuals turn their lives around after addiction? This chat on Real Recovery Talk tackles that question head-on by challenging the top five excuses people use to avoid going into treatment. Host Tom Conrad and regular guest Benjamin B. bring a mix of straight talk, dark humour and real-life stories from the front lines of addiction work. Early on, Ben highlights a brutal pattern he’s seeing: people trying to keep up appearances instead of asking for help.
As he puts it, "you can't save your face and your ass at the same time." A big focus is work and the fear of losing a job. Tom and Ben break down how many people are actually protected when they ask for help, mentioning laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act and options such as family medical leave and short-term disability. They stress the difference between being proactive and waiting until a disaster forces everyone’s hand.
Family is another common excuse: not wanting them to know, or worrying about leaving them in a bind. The hosts point out that in most cases, families already know something’s badly wrong and are often relieved when the person finally goes to treatment. Tom uses a powerful hurricane analogy to describe the chaos an addicted person creates at home, showing why families may quietly be desperate for that storm to pass.
Legal issues also come up, with Tom sharing how going to treatment before facing a judge changed how his DUI case played out. Throughout, they keep circling back to one central theme: underneath every excuse is fear. Their message for anyone stuck in that fear is simple and compassionate — treatment is a brave decision, and you don’t have to make it alone. If you’re finding reasons to delay getting help, could those “reasons” just be fear in disguise?
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