Addiction is a complex brain disease that causes compulsive drug use, despite the harm it can cause. If you need to Help Your Addicted Family Member who is close to someone with addiction, there are many things to be aware of so that you can help them in their journey back to sobriety.
Help Your Addicted Family Member
By understanding the nature of addiction and how it affects people’s lives, you will have better tools for helping your loved one get better.
It can destroy your social core-family
The effects of addiction on the addict and their family can be devastating. On one hand, you have a family member who you love dearly, but on the other hand, their addiction is tearing your life apart.
And to make matters worse it’s often incredibly difficult to get through to them and convince them that they need help. Oftentimes the addicts experience withdrawal symptoms and mental health issues from drug abuse which can cause them to lash out and become extremely ill-tempered. That is why you have to be careful when dealing with an addict, as it is a very delicate process that often requires outside assistance.
Many addicts will only recognize the negative effect of their addiction once they have destroyed their credibility and ruined any chance of a positive relationship with you.
When this happens they may finally accept the fact that they need help, but by then it might already be too late. It is for this reason that you must handle your family member in addiction properly from the beginning.
How to cope with an addict in your life
Managing an addict can be hard, especially if you don’t know how to do it properly. The first thing you need to understand is that addicts are often mentally ill and will act impulsively due to this illness.
This means that they may not respond well to certain types of treatment or behavior modification, which might result in them rejecting help altogether. If this happens, then you have to insist that they enroll in a professional rehabilitation facility that will help them through the withdrawal process.
It’s also important that you communicate your concerns to your family member in addiction, and don’t attack them or scold them for their behavior. They are sick and need help, not judgment. By handling things in this manner you are helping them open up to you and they will be more likely to trust your judgment. Another thing to remember is that addicts often experience mood swings which can make communication difficult. If this happens, the best thing you can do is remain calm and let them speak their mind without showing anger or frustration in any way. This way they will know that even if they have a problem you still love them and want to help them.
How to deal with addicts at home
Unfortunately, most people who are living with an addict often turn a blind eye to what is going on before it’s too late. By turning your back on the situation you could be exacerbating it because the addict will feel isolated and misunderstood, which can further their addiction. You might think that by ignoring the signs you are taking away the problem, but in reality, it’s only making things worse.
It is important to remember that your family member may not always want help. They might lash out at you for suggesting rehab or they might threaten to harm themselves. If this happens, then you need to make it clear that you will not tolerate their drug use and insist they get help otherwise they will be on their own. Once again this is where professional rehab centers can help.
Professional help
If your family member in addiction does accept your help, then there are several things you can do. The first thing you need to do is enroll them in a quality rehab facility, preferably one that specializes in treating your family member’s drug of choice. This way they will be able to communicate their problems and receive medication and counseling if necessary. Another thing you can do is contact organizations like Narcotics Anonymous for support groups that your family member in addiction can attend while still at home.
At the same time, you should contact a quality drug treatment center to get help for yourself as the stress of dealing with an addict can be hard to manage on your own. Through this support and professional assistance, you will be able to cope with an addict much easier, whether they want it or not.
If you are the family member of someone who is addicted to drugs, it can be difficult to know how best to help them. However, there are some things that you should keep in mind when interacting with your loved ones so they don’t reject any form of assistance. First and foremost, remember not to give up on your family member!
They need support more than anything else right now- if they try something but then change their mind after a few days or months, do not hold this against them as an example that treatment doesn’t work- instead, be understanding about why it may have been too early for them at the time.
Secondly, make sure you communicate with your addict openly without judgment. Their behavior abuse addiction often causes mood swings, this can be a difficult task.