If you are hooked on meth or other drugs, then going to rehab can certainly change your life for the better. The amount of impact that staying clean and sober will have on the quality of your life is pretty amazing. Most people will generally end up going to rehab a few times before they "get it," unfortunately, because we tend to overestimate how easy it will be to stay clean and sober.

Most people do not fully grasp just how big a change is required of the addict in order to transition to a new life in recovery without the drugs. It is a monumental change that requires a huge effort, and most people do not believe that it will be that hard.

We do this based on other changes we have made in our lives. We try to change our other habits in life and we can do so making only a modest effort with no problem. This has trained us to expect to get modest results when we put forth a modest effort.

Unfortunately, this does not hold true for recovery and if we put forth a modest effort we are going to relapse quickly. You have to put forth a huge effort in recovery in order to just barely stay clean for the first year. It is always a struggle and a learning experience and it is not easy for any addict or alcoholic to achieve.

When we do make it in early recovery, we do it by the skin of our teeth and fighting for our sobriety. It is a tough road and you have to be prepared to make a huge effort if you want to stay clean and sober in the long run.