Having a loved one who is dealing with the depths of addiction is not a topic that many of us like to broach. People who are facing addiction can often be treated as taboo subjects within the family and community. That said, if you have a loved one who is facing down their own dependency, there’s a lot more that you can do besides sitting aside and watching them in silence. Here, we’re going to look at some of the strategies you can use to help the addict in your life.
Learn about the workings of addiction
Regardless of your past exposure to addiction, you should make sure that you’re not operating solely on assumptions. The causes and effects of addiction can vary wildly. It doesn’t matter if you think you have gleaned an understanding from TV or films, or even if you have experienced addiction directly or indirectly through another person, either. Addiction has many forms and can manifest in a wide of behaviors, especially if the person is a high-functioning addict. You can take your time to do further research, but you should ensure to listen when your loved one is talking to you about the trouble that they’re going through. Their personal experience is the best resource you have when it comes to helping them manage it.
Think about whether you are an enabler or not
It’s not something we like to do, to think that we may be, in part, responsible for the health crisis that our loved one finds themselves in. However, if you have been close to them during their addiction, then there is some likelihood that you have played an enabling role. Learn more about enabling behaviors and see if any of them match actions or attitudes that you have had in the past, whether it’s making excuses on their behalf, protecting them from the consequences of their addiction, or taking their responsibilities as your own. As long as your loved one is using their vice of choice, this isn’t helping them, it’s clearing the path for them to indulge in their addiction.
Encourage them to open up about it
One of the most important steps in fighting addiction is one of the very first: admitting you have a problem in the first place. You can’t force your loved one to take this step for themselves, but you can make it clear that you will be there to help them when they do, and you can broach the topic yourself to make it understand that you are at the stage of having that conversation. In some cases, families and loved ones will stage an intervention, in which they sit with their loved one to let them know about how their behavior affects everyone involved.
Working out treatment options
Once your loved one is opening up about their addiction, the best course of action is to encourage them to find professional help. Quitting is magnitudes more difficult, and more likely to fail, when you’re doing it alone. As such, you might want to take the time to look at options like Real Deal Therapy & Wellness - Outpatient Rehab, to look at mixtures between inpatient and outpatient treatment, to figure out whether they may need to be detoxed before going through more long-term care, and more. You shouldn’t be trying to foist this upon your loved one, but make it clear that you want them to seek treatment and that you are here to help them find it when they’re ready.
Supporting them on the other side
Helping your loved one find the treatments that work well for them and taking concrete steps against addiction is already a huge positive for them, and they should be lucky to have you in their corner. However, addiction doesn’t even when someone is out of rehab or done with an outpatient program. A lot of people have to actively fight addiction for their whole life and you can help them by supporting them on the other side. You can pay attention to the signs of drug or relapse to keep them accountable, for instance.
Be an agent of positive change
When it comes to ensuring the right path to recovery after more direct treatment, one of the best decisions a person can make is to remove themselves from the circumstances and environment that made it easier for them to succumb to addiction in the first place. Learning more about your loved one’s triggers, be they certain environments, people, or even moods, can help you better manage them alongside your loved one. You could also help them find places like an OHR recovery housing halfway house if they (or you) are worried that having them stay in their previous environment is more likely to lead to a relapse. Of course, you can only help them make the right choices, be it in job-hunting, finding a place to live, and taking on healthier habits. You can’t force them to do it, nor can you do it for them.
Caring for yourself is vital, too
There are plenty of ways that you can help your loved one, as hopefully, you realize now with the points above. That said, addiction can be dangerous to those other than the person who is going through it personally. People around them can be harmed both directly and indirectly. You have to ensure that you have your own boundaries and that, when it comes to things like threats against your safety, you are willing to pull back and take care of yourself. A lot of people can experience being overwhelmed, burnt out, or feeling anxious when helping someone in recovery as well. You have to be sure to take time out for some self-care, too.
Beyond anything else, it’s crucial to keep in mind that it’s never your job to “fix someone,” and your first responsibility is to yourself. Your safety and well-being are paramount, but hopefully, you find some tips here that can help you help your loved one.
