Find Out How to Help a Drug Addict

You find out that your loved one has a substance abuse problem. Now, you feel like you’re receiving mixed messages from friends, family members, and society. Do you know how to help a drug addict? And yes, it’s possible to do so, but it isn’t easy.

Help Starts with Boundaries

Learning how to help a drug addict can feel like a crash course in tough love. No, you don’t have to withdraw emotional support or care. However, there are some boundaries you need to establish. They protect your integrity, your household, and your safety.

Another goal of boundaries is to prevent you from turning a helping hand into enabling. You choose what you want them to be. Many people stipulate that their loved one is always welcome to visit but must be sober. She or he agrees not to do drugs in their homes.

Stand by Your Decisions

Setting boundaries is one thing. Enforcing them is another. When learning the ropes of how to help a drug addict, boundary enforcement is among the most painful lessons. If you fail to stand by your rules, you enable drug abuse and give the person little reason to change.

Remember that it’s impossible to make someone quit using. No amount of money, hot meals, preaching and staged interventions make someone do something they don’t want to. Seeking out professional help with detoxification, recovery, and relapse prevention is up to the individual. What you can do, however, is provide information and resources.

How to Help a Drug Addict Reach out for Assistance

Someone suffering from a substance abuse problem lives an isolated life. He or she lies to friends, family members, doctors, teachers, and bosses. People and agencies that could provide help may not know the full extent of the problem. By educating yourself about available programs that meet your loved one’s needs, you can become a resource.

Do you know how to help a drug addict with this information? For starters, learn about drug use and understand that addiction is a progressive brain disorder. Next, find out about the various treatment options. Because rehab centers routinely work with family members, they have experts available who can help.

These counselors discuss with you the various program parameters and modalities. Examples include:

• One-on-one talk therapy that helps people struggling with an addiction find out why they use in the first place
• Group therapy that forms healthy bonds with peers, strengthens self-esteem and assists with relapse prevention
• Family therapy that can help your friend or loved one mend relationships that underwent a strain
• Activities that encourage enjoyment without the need to use drugs or alcohol to heighten the experience
• Holistic treatment that provides whole-person care and supports physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.

When you want to learn more about ending drug addiction at a rehab facility, Beaches Recovery can help. You can’t make the decision to quit for your loved one. However, you can be the resource that makes reaching out for help possible. Call 866.605.0532 today for information.