Practical Tips to Follow When Helping a Loved One Overcome Addiction

Addiction in all forms can do as much damage to the self as it does to friends and family members. Advanced stages could lead to a feeling of isolation and desire to be left alone, compounded by depression and the thought of being a hopeless case. Whether it revolves around sex or a certain substance, an addiction can cause an individual to become antisocial, leading to actions that could worsen their physical and emotional states.

However, as much as they seem to refuse any form of help coming from you, a loved one with an addiction still deserves your attention and support in finding a way out. There’s much you can do for a relative or friend who has entered a difficult state, even if they can’t feel that they’re on the path to self-destruction. It matters to act now and help them recover from this problem before it’s too late. Here’s a guide on how to intervene and secure their life. 

1. Know the Signs

You might think it’s easy to detect whether your loved one is suffering from an addiction, but reality tells you that even the most severe cases exist under your noses. Some may live their lives normally, like any person would, and may not exhibit obvious symptoms. Addictions can be latent, with some resorting to discreet means in satisfying their urges. It pays to dig deeper, especially if you notice subtle changes in your loved one’s behaviour and routines. You may not be an expert, but some of these signs are easy to catch if you look beneath the surface.

For the most part, the best way to know if a person has developed an addiction is to sense sudden mood changes. They may be euphoric at one point in the day and suddenly become irritable and anxious later on. If they’re working or going to school, their underperformance should also be treated as a sign. More advanced cases may lead to your loved one becoming more detached and showing physical changes such as sudden weight loss and moments of forgetfulness or confusion. Regardless of whether these were caused by other conditions, you should take these signs and symptoms seriously. 

2. Show Empathy and Concern

If you think your loved one’s struggle with addiction is becoming worse, you shouldn’t delay. At the same time, you shouldn’t be aggressive and probing. There’s always a good chance that they will be more defensive as they deny the problem and refuse your help. Nothing good ever comes out of being confrontational. In helping them deal with their addiction, you must approach with discernment and love.

Showing empathy helps your loved one feel safer to talk about the problem. You can only do so if you listen without judging and have a genuine concern about the issues they’re facing that only worsen their struggle. So long as you’re one of the few people in their life whom they trust the most, you can serve as the first provider of care. This tells them that you’re concerned, letting them know that they’re not alone.

3. Gather Allies

Knowing your loved one, you might expect that they won’t cooperate with you, let alone acknowledge the fact that they have a problem with addiction. Your presence might not even be enough to help them realise that they need help. For this reason, you need to know that you don’t have to deal with it by yourself. Keep in mind that other people in your loved one’s life are just as concerned as you are.

If you feel that the addiction has reached its advanced stage, you might want to consider getting more people involved. Just be sure that this group isn’t composed of individuals who have had conflicts with them or may also have problems of their own. With the right people on board, consider setting up a meeting and discussing how you will want to approach the problem and explore possible options. Work together and ensure that whatever is agreed upon will result in tangible improvements.

4. Reach Out to a Professional

Once your loved one has agreed to start on the road to a full recovery, you might think that you can support them by yourself using methods you’ve learned through blogs and YouTube videos. Keep in mind that not everything you see or read online about addiction recovery reflects actual science. Not all approaches will work for the benefit of your loved one’s unique case, so it’s important to consider getting qualified advice from a professional in addiction psychology and mental health.

There’s no universal solution to addiction, considering the variables that may have played a significant role in its development. By reaching out to an addiction specialist, you can help in coming up with an addiction recovery program that meets the needs of your loved one, get to the root cause of the problem, and develop a custom approach that will help them overcome the problem. Later on, taking them to treatment facilities such as Banyan Centers would be recommended to ensure a more comfortable and surefire way of supporting your loved one on the road to a full recovery.

5. Stay Involved and Stay Grounded

Throughout their treatment journey, your loved one needs all the support they can get to rebuild their lives. Up until they received treatment, they may have had things and people around that triggered their urges. Apart from that, the actions they took when they were at the peak of their addiction may have damaged their relationships, career, and reputation. 

The road to recovery doesn’t stop at getting rid of their urges. It continues as they seek to pick up the pieces. For this reason, your continued presence can help them feel less alone and more hopeful. Help them heal by doing healthy and mentally stimulating activities together or just having conversations over coffee. As you do so, never neglect your emotional needs. It can weigh you down emotionally, especially if you’re tasked with monitoring their habits and detecting signs of withdrawal and relapse. If you don’t care for yourself and allow this responsibility to result in burnout, you may lose the capacity to care for your loved one. 

It’s just as important to practice self-care as you help the other person recover. If you have to, take a break when you’re stressed out and ask someone else to fill in for you. What’s more, never neglect the activities that give you a sense of peace. Prioritise your health as you keep on prioritising your loved one’s escape from their addiction.

Endnote

You have a valuable role to play in helping a relative or friend overcome their urges and live with a sense of fulfilment and purpose. Consider God these tips and lead them on the right path.