Frederick Jace
It’s utterly heartbreaking to see a loved one suffering from any form of addiction. The road to recovery is hard, especially for a drug or alcohol addict, which means that you must work even harder to lead them to the right road as a family. People struggling with addiction often deny their situation and refuse help. Therefore, as someone close to an addict, there are ways you can assist them in accepting help. You can treat your loved one’s addiction effectively in the following ways.
1. Learn about addiction:
One of the biggest mistakes people make in dealing with an addict is to take over the situation without educating themselves. Every addiction is different and entails different behavioral characteristics and symptoms. It will help if you don’t intervene based on third-party perspectives. You should learn about your loved one’s condition, treatment options, effects, and symptoms to better understand what they are going through. Instead of blaming it on the addict, learning about addiction helps families understand what medically goes on with that person. It also helps find better treatment options.
2. Encourage them to accept help:
No amount of support and enabling can change that your loved one needs help. The only thing worse than the addiction is denying that you have it, and most addicts do that. Therefore, you must positively encourage them to accept their situation and seek help. Got a loved one who is willing to accept treatment? If you live in California, Delphi Health Group is one of the best places to start. Suppose your loved one is reluctant to seek immediate medical treatment or rehab. In that case, you should let them ease into the process and keep trying.
3. Avoid giving them financial support:
It’s natural to fear the loss of a loved one or when they are distancing themselves from you. It’s conceivable you were unaware when you provided financial assistance. Still, now that you are aware, you must not act as a catalyst. It may seem emotionally difficult at first, but offering fundings to an addict enables their addiction even more. The best approach is to slowly stop financial support without giving an ultimatum or negatively affecting an addict’s progress.
4. Offer support without enabling:
Sometimes it becomes complicated for people associated with an addict to know the difference between supporting and enabling an addict. It is difficult to see your loved one getting consumed by a mere substance that can render us helpless and more eager to help them out. However, instead of helping them, we enable them to continue with their actions. For instance, it’s logical to keep an alcoholic from driving or even drinking but offering them to drive whenever they are under the influence is another way of enabling their addiction.
5. Set healthy boundaries:
Trying to stop enabling a loved one’s addiction brings us to our next option: setting rules and healthy boundaries. Instead of shielding their vulnerabilities, an addict should be reminded about the consequences of their action. An addict’s recovery needs to hold them responsible for their actions and behavior. For instance, you can refuse to give them money or pay their bills, stop covering for them at work or school, and ban the use of drugs around you or in the house.
6. Assist them with treatment options:
One of the best ways you can help an addict is to assist them in seeking help and, ultimately, proper treatment. Help them explore various treatment options such as rehab and play an active part during the treatment. It will help if you encourage them to take therapy, medical treatment, and interventions as much as possible. Present treatment options in a positive light and help them see the light at the end of the tunnel.
7. Do not let the addiction affect your life:
Addiction is not only an addict’s worst enemy but also engulfs the lives of those around them. A loved one’s addiction can sometimes consume the family’s entire life, so it is essential to take care of yourself as well. You should not let your loved one’s addiction define every parameter of your life and continue doing things you love. When you feel that every option is a no-go, take a step back, focus on yourself first, and try again.
8. Do not intimidate them:
Making emotional appeals, giving ultimatums, and threatening a loved one with addiction will bear no fruit. It will only diminish their trust in you and further detract from seeking help. You must be sensitive about the other person’s feelings and don’t expect them to give up their addiction at a moment’s notice. Try to lengthen the process by making several attempts and adjusting your expectations. Help them accept their condition instead of punishing them.
9. Try intervention:
An intervention is an effective way of getting an addict to accept help and seek treatment. It is a carefully planned process that involves consultation with a counselor or a doctor and is organized by friends and family. It may also consist of people going through addiction treatment and peers from support groups as they confront the loved one about the consequences of their addiction. It may also help the loved one to take steps towards treatment plans.
10. Do not violate their privacy:
Helping a loved one deal with addiction is all about building trust so that they may accept a helping hand. That is why it is vital not to violate privacy in the process and keep open and honest communication about therapy and treatment. You should ensure addicts’ privacy is respected and that their struggles don’t become a topic of gossip.
Conclusion:
Addiction is like a disease that consumes the addict and everything around them. It is especially challenging when you have to deal with the addiction of a loved one. But you should know that becoming an addict is not a death sentence, and there are many ways you can help your loved one find their way back to life. The important thing is knowing what you are dealing with and positively supporting your loved one through recovery.
