If you are a college football fan, you probably remember an amazing celebration during the 2024 season. In front of their home crowd, the team from Vanderbilt University—a school that is good at a lot of things, but not, as a rule, football—beat the number one ranked team from the University of Alabama, a perennial football powerhouse.
The Vandy fans were thrilled. Really thrilled.
So thrilled that they stormed the field, tore down the goalposts, and carried them two and a half miles through the busiest parts of Nashville to throw them in the Cumberland River.
Now, football goalposts have a specific purpose that requires them to be in a specific spot. Kickers send balls toward—and, with skill, through—the goalposts in order to score a field goal or an extra point after a touchdown. Obviously, if the goalposts have moved, that’s going to change the nature of the game being played. So, as a rule, moving the goalposts is not such a great idea.
But when it comes to getting treatment for a substance use disorder, many people get into the habit of moving metaphorical goalposts. And not just once, but again and again and again.
What do we mean by “moving the goalposts” in this context? Let us explain.
‘I’ll get help if and when…’
Sometimes, a person struggling with drugs or alcohol sets up an arbitrary standard by which they will judge the severity of their problem. For example, they might suspect they have developed a substance use disorder, but instead of heading to treatment, they decide they will get help if and when they, say, find themselves drinking or using drugs alone or during the day when they should be at work.
As long as those things do not happen, they figure the problem can’t be that bad. But then one day, they find themselves leaving the office early and heading to their favorite bar or to a dealer they know who can set them up with their drug of choice.
Time to get treatment, right? That was the deal they made with themselves.
Ah, but here is the moment the goalposts get moved. If the metaphorical goalposts are drinking or using the drugs alone and/or doing the workday, the person in question might decide that new goalposts will be a drug or alcohol fueled altercation.
As long as they don’t get in a fistfight, they must not be at rock bottom. But then one day, they find themselves in a fistfight while under the influence.
Time to get treatment, right? That was the new deal they made with themselves.
But instead, they move the goalposts again. The new goalposts will be getting picked up for driving with drugs or alcohol in their system.
As long as they don’t have an encounter with the police, they must not be at rock bottom. You can see where this is going, right? One day, they find themselves rolling down their window to give a police officer their license and registration.
Even at this point, there is a chance our hypothetical individual will continue to move the goalposts. Eventually, only serious harm to themselves or someone else is left as a possible outcome, indicating a need for treatment. Obviously, it is not a good idea to let things get to that point.
The Time to Get Help Is Right Now
Instead of repeatedly moving the goalposts for getting yourself into treatment, you should seek out help as soon as you recognize you have a problem with drugs or alcohol. The sooner you get into treatment, the more negative consequences you can lessen or avoid entirely.
Working toward recovery gives you an opportunity to rebuild your mental and physical health, which have almost certainly been undermined by your substance use. The sooner you get treatment, the more likely it is that you will not irreparably damage important relationships or face financial hardship resulting from your pursuit of drugs or alcohol. And, of course, the sooner you get into treatment, the more likely you are to avoid real tragedy—like an accident that takes the life of another person or that results in your death.
Leave those goalposts right where they are. The winning play is getting treatment right away.
The Farley Center Can Help You Reclaim Your Life
Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, The Farley Center helps individuals overcome substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders that may be entangled with the use of drugs or alcohol. We offer a residential program as well as a partial hospitalization program and an intensive outpatient program. Whichever approach you choose, you will be treated by our dedicated staff of recovery experts who will personalize a treatment plan that addresses your specific needs.
The temptation to put off getting help can be a strong one for any number of reasons. But each day you leave a substance use disorder untreated is another day that drugs or alcohol can do devastating damage to your life. If you are struggling with substances, we urge you to pursue treatment right away.
