Reflections on Rock Bottoms

In working on topics today, I came across two quotes I wanted to consider. They are from contemporary artists whom I respect, and they show real insight and thoughtfulness.

"Remember just because you hit bottom doesn’t mean you have to stay there." – Robert Downey Jr.

"Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life." – J.K. Rowling

In relating these quotes to recovery, I find them deeply intuitive. In my experience, few people seek help from drugs and alcohol until they’ve hit rock bottom. The "down and out" theme often brings to mind a man or woman lying on the sidewalk with a blanket, a bag, and a syringe.

Let’s start with Robert Downey Jr.’s quote. He reminds us that we don’t have to stay in the shadows of life. We can rise from the dust and ashes to become something better. We can use our past not as a weight but as a foundation—reclaiming self-respect and self-love. As J.K. Rowling puts it, rock bottom is a solid foundation to rebuild a life.

To find that place, we must also accept the words of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland:

"However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made... I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines."

With this assurance, we can begin the path of 12-step recovery.

From Søren Kierkegaard, the Christian philosopher:

"God creates everything out of nothing—and everything which God is to use, He first reduces to nothing."

Rock bottom allows us to find spiritual rebirth in the ruins of our previous lives.

From Carl Jung, a psychological influence on AA:

"It is only in the state of complete abandonment and loneliness that we experience the helpful powers of the inner Self."

This captures the idea that hitting bottom isn’t the end—it’s a sacred threshold.

From Psalm 40:2 (KJV):

"He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings."

This scripture mirrors Rowling’s metaphor—being lifted from the pit and placed on solid ground.

So, when I consider the phrase "rock bottom," I immediately think of the solution—one that has its foundation in 12-step recovery, philosophy, and spirituality.

"Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more." – Doctrine and Covenants 58:42

"Our destiny is not determined by the number of times we stumble, but by the number of times we rise up, dust ourselves off, and move forward." – President Dieter F. Uchtdorf