Are you trying to figure out how to help someone with addiction? If yes, you should check out our guide by clicking right here.
Are you concerned about the drinking or drugging habits of a friend, colleague, or family member?
You’re not alone. A recent study reveals that as many as 240 million people around the world are dependent on alcohol and about 15 million rely on drugs to get by.
The good news is, addicts can and will recover with a little help from their friends. Here’s how to help someone with addiction issues as best you can.
Help Yourself First
When you’re considering helping an addict, you need to prepare for some resistance at first. They’re bound to get defensive. Especially if they don’t believe they have a problem.
It’s best to get advice on how to help an addict from a reliable source before you broach the subject. You can talk to someone at Alanon or a rehab center for guidance on how to proceed.
Helping Them Admit The Problem
If you want to help your friend, you’ll need to harness all the patience and goodwill you can muster. Addicts can be exceptionally charming and persuasive, so stand firm.
Addiction is a complex disease, and unless your friend’s hit rock bottom, they’re probably going to resist your attempt to help them at first. Avoid getting into an argument with them.
Remain calm and explain how their behavior’s affecting everyone around them. Stick to the facts.
Describe what the consequences could be if they don’t get help soon. Explain that a rehabilitation facility is the only place that has the people who know how to help someone get off drugs or alcohol safely.
Don’t let them fool you into thinking they can do it alone. It can be dangerous to quit drinking or drugs without professional help.
Once they agree to enter treatment, act fast before they change their mind. If you’ve conveniently got some information on nearby rehab centers to hand.
How To Help Someone With Addiction Get Treatment
Your friend or family member may resist any suggestion of going into rehab at first. This could be due to fear of the unknown, or simply because they don’t want anyone to know they’ve got a problem.
Remember they’ve been fighting the stigma associated with addicts for as long as they can remember. So, you can expect them to feel uncertain about the treatment they’ll receive in a rehab facility.
To put their mind at ease, visit a few rehab centers with them, so they can see how things work. It helps if you can get in touch with other recovering addicts to help your friend feel more at ease.
Go through all their options with them, and discuss which one suits them best. There’s nothing worse for an addict than feeling they have no control, so keep them posted every step of the way.
Join Them On Their Journey
The main thing to remember if you want to know how to help someone with addiction problems is that they’ll need support both during and after treatment.
Don’t abandon them once they’re decided to get help. That’s when the real work starts.
Most importantly, when they get out of rehab, they’ll need a good friend to help ease their transition back into daily life. Take a look at our blog for some great ideas on how to keep them entertained in a safe, sober environment.
