Addiction can be worrisome and you see your own people dealing with this difficult You may get worried thinking about how you may assist the one who is battling addiction. To be clear, choosing to offer assistance with substance abuse or another kind of addiction is not always simple. But having people to talk to or rely on and if you can offer support to your friend or anyone in the family your loved one will frequently have a better chance of conquering their difficulties with your help.
Substance abuse can destroy relationships with friends, family, and loved ones while destroying families and finances. There are a few ways you may support a loved one who is battling addiction. See what actions you can do if a loved one is battling substance abuse and addiction by reading more below.
Build Trust
If your loved one has already betrayed your trust, regaining and maintaining it can be tough. However, establishing trust is an important first step in helping someone with addiction think about change.
Trust is easily undermined, even when you are trying to help. There are a few things to keep in mind as you are thinking about talking to your loved one about their addiction.
Perspectives differ. While you may only want to help your loved one, they might think you are trying to control them. These feelings can lead them to engage in their addiction even more.
Stress can make things worse. Your loved one likely uses their addictive behaviour (at least partly) as a way to manage stress. If the atmosphere between the two of you is stressful, they may turn to their addictive behaviour more, not less.
Trust goes both ways. Building trust is a two-way process. Trust is not established when you continue to put up with unwanted behaviour.
Understand the role of consequences. People with addiction rarely change until the behaviour has consequences. While you might want to protect your loved one, resist the urge to try to protect someone with addiction from the consequences of their actions.
Have an approach toward effective Communication
You might be eager to express your concerns to your loved one about the problems their addiction has brought about and your desire to see them change. Learning how to speak with someone who is struggling with an addiction is necessary for having an effective conversation.
Although it can be difficult, keep in mind that they are the ones who have chosen to change.
If you communicate honestly and non-threateningly, an addict is much more likely to be open to considering a change.
Tell the truth about your emotions. Be honest about what you want to happen next and share with your loved one how your experience with their addiction has affected you.
In counselling, avoid placing blame, making fun of, or demeaning your loved one. Just describe how it has been for you. Confronting someone often backfires and can harm your connection.
Respect their choice
If your loved one decides to seek treatment independently:
Be mindful of their privacy. Without their permission, don’t discuss your loved one’s treatment with friends, family, or others.
In counselling, be mindful of their privacy. Don’t press them to tell you what happened if they don’t want to talk about it.
Develop your patience. There are numerous methods for treating addiction, but nothing changes instantly.
In the end, there isn’t much you can do if they refuse assistance. So one strategy to assist someone who rejects receiving substance abuse treatment is to educate yourself on their addiction and then look for tools that could persuade them otherwise. Additionally, use incentives to get them to consult a doctor rather than confronting them. Sometimes speaking with a healthcare expert can persuade someone to seek addiction treatment more effectively than hearing this advice from a family member or friend.
Keep Words And Actions Consistent
Keep your communication with your friend concise and consistent at all times. Don’t, for instance, express your concern about a friend’s addiction while also observing them engage in that behaviour. You’ll convey a murky message that could make things more difficult if you do this.
Additionally, make sure to refrain from criticising and levelling allegations. Make an effort to understand their position rather than draw conclusions. Aggressive behaviour simply serves to make your companion defensive. Try substituting statements like “I’m concerned about your health” or “I’ve noticed some challenging circumstances you’ve been going through lately.”
Advising them to consult a professional
Drug addiction recovery is exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to do alone. Encourage your loved one to seek professional assistance, such as treatment from a counsellor or rehab centre for addiction, or even begin going to a local support group like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA).
Be reasonable in your expectations
Recovery takes time, and relapses are frequent. You need to be realistic and aware that recovering from an addiction can take a long time. Working with counsellors and other mental health specialists might once again assist you in establishing reasonable expectations.
What to Say to a Friend Who is Fighting Addiction?
It’s important to talk to your friend about their drug addiction problems. To start a dialogue with them when they are sober or drug-free is advised. 2 If they are not sober during the chat, they are less likely to comprehend the situation. It’s also suggested to meet in a public place and talk for longer than a fleeting time.
Engage your friend in a two-way conversation so that they don’t feel like they are being lectured to. Make it apparent that you are concerned about how their addiction is harming both them and their family as you list the potentially hazardous behaviours you have observed. Experts suggest creating and repeating a steady, encouraging message, like “we care about you and we want you to receive aid,”
Before your conversation, you should hunt for a treatment programme for your friend. Ask plenty of questions and extensively research all of your options before selecting a course of treatment. Depending on the substance being overused and the degree of the addiction, detoxification may be necessary before starting therapy. 3
Make sure your friend is scheduled for therapy as soon as possible and thoroughly familiarise yourself with the program’s policies. Prepare your belongings and make travel arrangements in advance to facilitate your friend’s decision to go.