Helping a loved one deal with addiction can be a troubling and challenging experience. Yet, helping a loved one deal and recognize the problem can significantly improve his or her life. Though it requires the assistance of doctors, friends, or support groups, your help can save a loved one from the pain and difficulties brought by addiction, leading to a better life in the long run.Most professionals suggest that the person suffering from addiction purge drugs and alcohol before starting a recovery program.
Read on and learn some of the steps that one can take when a loved one struggles with addiction.
• Talk to the person about the problem. Let the person know that you care about him and that you do not like him to become enslaved by addiction. Explain what addiction has done to him and to those who loved him. Also, ask the person if he is willing to get help. Let the person know that you are willing to accompany him whenever he is ready.
• Set an appointment with an addiction therapist. Your loved one may not want to go with you at first, but you can still get help from the therapist on how to develop strategies that can help you manage the situation.
• Interacting with an addicted loved one should be in the same way as before he became an addict. Treating an addict differently may make him feel unloved or uncared, making the problem more difficult to handle.
• Set your boundaries with an addictive loved one. Let him know what is acceptable and not acceptable to you.
• Set up an intervention. It helps in bringing friends, family members, and support groups together to help a person recognize his problems. Mostly, an addict feels that his family or friends are ganging up against him. Yet, if more people confront him about his problem, he may probably realize that he needs help.
• Stop supporting an addicted loved one. Providing assistance can be easy, even as simple as watching his kids for him or giving him money for bills. However, making an addicted loved one’s life easy will only push him more to addiction.
• Be patient. Recovery from addiction is a lengthy process. A long-lasting and real change does not happen overnight. The recovering loved one must heal emotionally, physically, and spiritually. The addicted loved one may experience mood swings, appetite problems, and sleeping difficulties. Hence, it would be helpful to stay supportive and encouraging as you can.
About the Author
Lauryn Winterson is a professional writer and drug rehabilitation advocate.
