Getting to rock bottom: what it means and where to go from here

Hitting rock bottom can feel like the end—but it’s often the beginning of something deeper, stronger, and more real. This article explores what it truly means to reach your lowest point—and how that moment can become the turning point toward transformation, growth, and hope.

What does it feel like to reach rock bottom?

Reaching rock bottom feels like falling into a dark pit of despair. You can't crawl out of it because there's nothing you're trying anymore. Despair overwhelms you. You realize that you can't blame others for your circumstances anymore. I have lost faith that anything can improve. Moving forward seems impossible.

When you're at this point, everything seems to be falling apart around you. You may be overwhelmed by sadness, regret and shame. Maybe you're sinking into regret or feeling like you're losing your mind. It is possible that you feel emotionally numb or be overcome by panic attacks. You may explode into bouts of uncontrollable anger. Rock bottom may seem like a complete nervous breakdown that causes you to break up or have suicidal thoughts.

Signs that you have reached rock bottom

How do you know if you've hit rock bottom? The lowest point for each person is different. But some of the experiments that can send people to all-time lows are:

• Being fired or lost in employment

• Insurmountable financial problems

• Become homeless

• Injury that causes severe disability

• A failed marriage or the end of an important romantic relationship

• Exposure to domestic violence leading to hospitalization

• Legal problems or imprisonment

• Serious physical health crisis

• Anxiety or annoying depression

Emotional gutter with depression and trauma

Untreated mental illnesses such as depression and PTSD are one of the main reasons why people reach the emotional bottom. When mental health disorders go untreated, people are at risk of emotional breakdown. They are also at risk of harming or destroying their functions, relationships, and physical health. Moreover, reaching rock bottom can exacerbate mental health problems and also lead to new ones. At its worst, rock bottom feelings can lead to suicide attempts.

What to do when you hit rock bottom

• Engage in self-care

Prioritizing your physical health goes a long way toward improving your mental and emotional health. Do your best to get enough sleep, eat nutritious food, and incorporate some form of movement or exercise into your day. Pausing to do some deep breathing or meditating for just a few moments can make a big impact. These simple self-care strategies can improve your mood and energy.

• Build resilience

Bounce from low point to rock bottom requires flexibility. This does not mean denying how you feel or what happened. But it requires shifting your focus to the good things in your life. One way to do this is to remember and celebrate your natural talents and talents. By identifying your strengths, you can rely on them more easily when faced with challenges.

• Regain your strength

When you're at rock bottom, it's easy to feel like life is happening to you. When you adopt this position, you deny your power. On the other hand, when you take full responsibility for your life, the ability to make a difference lies with you. You understand that you can make decisions about what you want and need. There is freedom to take control of things and take steps towards achieving your goals. Over time, you'll begin to realize that you have more options than you imagined.

• Seek professional help

Overcoming the crisis requires help. There is nothing weak in asking for help. On the contrary, it is wise to get the right support when fear and distress overcomes you. If you don't have a wizard, consider finding it. Having an objective and well-trained person to discuss your conflicts with can be a turning point. A mental health counselor or therapist can help you reflect on your past and patterns in a way you may never be able to do alone or with a good friend or family member. They can also offer tools and strategies to help you reframe destructive thinking, adopt healthier behaviors, find hope, and reclaim your life.