I am not a mental health professional, nor do I play one on TV. But I am a reasonable observer of human behavior. Since my work days are spent at a hospital I get to see a wide spectrum of the human condition. And in watching both my own behavior and the rest of the zoo around us, I’ve come to a conclusion. To make a change you have to hit rock bottom.

This applies to weight loss, exercise, alcohol and drug use, any sort of destructive behavior. To make a real change you first have to hit whatever your rock bottom is.

For some people rock bottom is finding out their favorite jeans are a little too tight. Others, it’s hitting 400 pounds and being unable to participate in life. One guy may make a drunken fool of himself at a party and decide that’s it. For another it may take being in the hospital detoxing and full blown DT’s.

The unfortunate truth about this is that the lower and further down rock bottom is… the harder it is to climb out. It can be done but the success rate gets exponentially smaller.

So what can you do about it? I’m certainly no expert, but I think that constant self-inventory is vital. Be brutal. Look at yourself naked in the mirror. Get on the scale daily. Can you do a single pushup? How many bottles of alcohol are you going through in a week? Don’t hide from it. Hopefully at some point you’ll decide that today is the day to make a change.

I’m sure plenty of real experts can offer better approaches. All I know is what I’ve seen and experienced myself. Until you hit bottom… and then go a little bit further down, you’re not going to make a change. Forcing a constant inventory may not be the best approach, but it can’t hurt. Easier said than done, I know.

The sooner you come to grips with your reality, the better your chance of success. Go watch some motivational weight loss stories on YouTube. Watch a video of someone going through DT’s. Right now, can you run up and down a flight of stairs without gasping for air? Are you truly happy with your current state?

Maybe today will be your rock bottom.