Addiction is not something the faint of heart should tackle. There are many things that can make a person addicted. From food to alcohol, drugs to gambling, anything that’s consumed in excess and out of control is quite addictive, whether it’s healthy or not.
Breaking the cycle and getting out of it’s something that may require the support of others to attain. Not everybody who is addicted to a substance or activity can do it of their own accord.
Helping loved ones through addiction is critical to their success in managing and controlling it. If you have a loved one struggling with some form of addiction, there are several ways to help. Hopefully, this guide can provide individuals with the guidance they need to help guide their loved ones out of a dark or worrisome place.
Understand what they are going through
It’s important that when you approach this from your beloved one’s perspective, you understand what they’re going through. Of course, it can be very challenging when you may have never experienced an addiction yourself before.
If so, then you will know. However, with most loved ones exploring this with little real-life experience, it is vital to inform yourself about what they are going through. Every addiction is different, so the person may experience different physical or emotional upheavals that need help.
Helping your beloved one is simply possible if you have done your research on what to expect from an addiction. The ups and downs differ from one addiction to another. You want to be prepared for each eventuality that occurs.
Do your research and find out about everything before you start providing advice or guidance. You do not want to start telling someone what to do without understanding it first.
Pay attention to your own health and safety
Before you dedicate your effort and time to other people, particularly people with addiction, it is vital to pay attention to your own health and safety. This is important because with addiction it can take away a lot from the addicted person but also those around them.
Supporting someone with an addiction is not easy. They may react negatively to your help or willingness to provide that support. You must remind yourself that it’s the addiction that causes the reaction, not the person deep down.
There may be hard times both physically and mentally, which means you must take care of yourself too. Taking a step away is occasionally essential to gain perspective and reset your battery.
Always pay attention to your own health and safety, ensuring to break free as and when the need arises. While you want to help your loved ones, you do not want to do it at the expense of your own health and safety. In situations where addiction is more dangerous, you want to tread extra carefully.
Focus on the heart of the matter
The addiction problem may be deeper than you might think. It is important for you to see how the addiction itself works and how it happened in the first place.
Being born with an addiction is not something that happens. Their dependence on something they’re addicted to has developed in other ways. This may occur slowly through the influence of others, such as people they admire, or their peers. It could be from another faucet in their life.
The crux of the matter is what you want to focus on because that’s where lots of healing and work can be done.
It is not easy to get to the heart of addiction as it may be under so many layers. The layers need to be slowly peeled back in some cases for the addicted person to overcome their demons and to get the help they so desperately need.
Get their help professionally
Speaking of help, someone dealing with addiction needs to get it access to the right resources. The first stage of addiction is admitting the addiction in the first place. They should even be willing to get help themselves. Even if you think you can get them the help they need, they may not want it.
It can be a wasted effort for you to try and provide them access to professionals and they refuse to go. They may leave but not take it seriously enough to want to change. Dealing with someone who has an addiction can be very frustrating.
When they’re ready to face the music and get help, be sure you seek the right help and advice. Some professional services will be much more productive than others, so it is vital to know which one might be best for the person.
It may be a case of trial and error to find out what works and what does not. However, getting assistance is one step closer to breaking the addiction once and for all. It’s all progress beyond the initial initial steps of recognition and decline.
Get legal help if they get into trouble
Certain addictions can create lots of problems and it is crucial that you’re able to find the required legal support if needed.
For example, having an incredible drug defense lawyer can help your loved ones avoid really bad situations that could further affect their lives.
Getting into trouble is not only something hard to get back at in the short term, but can be challenging in the long term. While you may be sympathetic to addiction, others may not, particularly with regards to work.
Seeking legal support is something that should be considered carefully with regards to getting help for the person in question.
Set realistic expectations
What are your hopes for your loved ones? Is it to kick the habit totally or gradually eliminate it over time? Some addictions are more harsh than others and a few may never totally kick the addiction, rather than living with it but on a much smaller scale.
Setting realistic expectations is important because not every possible outcome can be achieved. It is something you may want to discuss with the person in question or with other members of the family or support networks around the individual.
Try to set these goals as soon as possible so you can work to make as much progress as possible. Setbacks are possible but if you move a few steps forward and a step back, progress is being made. You may find that it’s also good to spur individuals with addictions to have goals.
Goals help with that motivation to reach milestones, which the person may just need to help control the addiction once and for all.
Avoid triggers
Triggers are the part of the addiction that can cause the individual to decline. It is important to try and avoid these triggers by doing everything possible to keep the individual away from the addiction itself.
Whether it is hanging out with the wrong people or getting near a certain location, avoiding triggers can help the person get back into their addiction. It’s difficult to do this because you can all the time monitor the person 24/7. However, by doing your best to help the person avoid their triggers, the more likely that person is to have success with their addiction.
Acknowledge that they’re the ones who need to ask for help
As we have mentioned, it is vital to remember that while you can offer help, they need to ask for it. For some people trying to help people who are about to become addicted, their requests for help may not come.
It’s important to recognize that and accept that if they want your help there’s very little you can do. It is a hard pill to swallow but you can’t force them to face their addiction if they aren’t willing or ready to do so.
Expect the addiction to relapse
Relapses are common in addiction and this is where people slip and fall back into the habit of addiction. Whether it is online gambling to taking medicine on a night out, it is vital to recognize that relapses are common with addictions and aren’t all the time smooth sailing by any means.
Helping loved ones with addiction is important because so many need and want help, but lack a support network. Use these tips to help make sure you get the help your beloved one needs to overcome their addiction.
