Drug addiction is a chronic disease that involves the compulsive use of drugs despite negative consequences. It may be caused by genetic, social, and psychological factors. The person who takes the drug will experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking it.
Drugs change how your brain functions and can cause problems with memory, behavior, moods, motivation, and thinking. For these reasons it is important to get help from a medical professional as soon as possible if you know someone who has an addiction problem. If someone you know is struggling with a substance abuse disorder then there are many ways you can support them through treatment. This article will give you a few examples of how to do just that.
1. Be There
The most important thing you can do is be there for the person if they need someone to talk to. Being supportive involves listening to them when they are feeling down, not judging or criticizing them. It is important not to make accusations or try to lecture your family member or friend about their drug abuse problem, because instead of helping they will just feel defensive and won’t listen.
Even if you have witnessed the person being intoxicated, are worried about their health, or have heard them talk about wanting to quit you can’t force them into recovery. This is because it has to be their decision, not yours. If the person wants help they will let you know so being there to listen when they are ready is important for helping them through treatment. The road to recovery can be tough and even if your loved one doesn’t seem like they want help at the moment it’s important to find ways you can help them.
2. Research rehab institutions
If you know someone who needs help there are many places that will be able to give them the assistance they need. You can research rehab institutions online or in your local area so you can learn more about what kind of programs they have to offer. Be sure to find out what qualifications the people at the treatment facility have and if they have helped others recover from addiction successfully. It would be good to find success stories of other people who have attended the institution so you can share these with your loved ones.
3. Offer Healthy Activities
There are many healthy activities you could do with someone that has a drug addiction problem to show them that there is more to life than just drugs. These activities have to come from the person, this means they have to be things they want to try and not something you force them to do. It’s important to respect the person’s decision and not force your own personal agenda onto them. If you both enjoy an activity then that could be a good way to boost their self-esteem because they are taking part in something they like.
4. Remind Them Of Their Strengths
Strengths are something someone who is struggling with addiction will lack. That’s because there are many things they can’t do or don’t know how to do when they are abusing drugs. It’s important to remind the person of their strengths and that can help them cope with difficult times during treatment and also give them more confidence in themselves. This is especially important when the person is in the depths of their addiction when they are struggling with cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Reminding them of what they’re good at and the strengths they have may give them a reason to fight harder to get better. Everyone has good and bad days and your loved one will probably feel like they’re a failure after every relapse. This is why it’s important to remind them of their strengths and that there’s still hope for them. It may seem like things won’t get better but with help from those around them, support through treatment can make all the difference. Asking if there’s something you can do for them could be helpful as well, maybe you may want to help them take a shower or cook a meal.
The road to recovery can be tough and even if your loved one doesn’t seem like they want help at the moment it’s important to find ways you can help them. Having someone on their side can influence them to seek professional help and they will know if they relapse you’ll still be there for them. Giving support can make a big difference and it may make the person want to recover whereas before they didn’t care or thought they couldn’t do it.
