When you've been doing something self destructive for some
time (perhaps without realizing it) before something serious happens that forces you to come to terms with what you've been doing and that you need to
stop.
Usually involves something medical but can involve
anything serious.
He used to eat tons of junk food, stuff with all sorts of
sugar, salty snack foods, you name it. It doesn't help that he rarely exercised. He didn't seem to get that even the manufacturers of those foods stress the importance of a balanced diet. His wake up call was a heart attack that almost killed him. Fortunately, he took it seriously and made a
lot of changes to his lifestyle.
They used to seem like they had
everything. They lived well beyond their means. Most people thought they were rich. It took almost losing their
house for them to start opening their eyes and living within their means. It was a real wake up call.