Generally, when someone is struggling with addiction, it can affect them both psychologically and emotionally. Hence, it’s up to you to offer assistance by learning how to help a loved one battling with alcohol or drug abuse. 

The psychological impact of addiction can cause depression and many more. Simultaneously, the emotional impact can negatively influence such people’s relationships with colleagues, friends, and family. As you can see, it’s a complicated web. In spite of this, there is no one standard answer to how to help a loved one with drug abuse.

However, there are several tips for helping people with addiction issues. If your relative or friend is living with addiction, you may wonder how you can support them. Usually, it’s not always simple to decide to help someone who struggles with drug abuse. However, with your help, your loved one will enjoy a better chance of overcoming drug abuse.

Addiction is a continual, weakening brain disease. And, the journey to recovery is a lifelong one. This inevitably affects those closest to the addicted person. Often, it can seem like an impenetrable maze. However, if you know what to look for, it’s one that you can navigate. 

Acquire Thorough Knowledge About Addiction

Knowledge is power. Therefore, before you help your loved one with drug abuse, ensure you have a vast knowledge of addiction. Remember, you can only provide the help that you have. Until you understand drug abuse and its symptoms properly, you may find your loved one weird or too irritating. 

Also, you can easily miss the usual addiction signs happening right in front of you if you don’t know about it. Drug addiction is complex, and it’s normal if you can’t figure out everything from the onset. Nevertheless, taking your time to comprehend your loved one’s issue and the side effects will be significantly beneficial to their recovery.

Understand the drug addiction problem process. Also, find information on how it can affect your loved one, friends and the family. There are several resources available online for finding information regarding drug abuse and its side effects.

Related article: The Financial Cost of Alcohol Abuse and Addiction

Inspire Them to Seek Help

One of the main tips on how to help a loved one with drug abuse is to encourage them to seek help. As with other conditions, the earlier you treat the addiction, the better. Nevertheless, don’t be disappointed if they refuse to seek treatment or find excuses not to receive treatment. You have to be relentless about how seeking professional help will help their recovery. 

However, you must avoid making them feel uncomfortable in the process. Another method is to prepare an intervention session for your loved one. Even though these are usually hard to do, an intervention session may be of great help to their addiction recovery process. If the person is already deep into the habit, an intervention specialist can help you and your loved one navigate through the process.

Also, you can help your loved one beat addiction by offering complete support. Usually, people struggling with addiction don’t realize how much their friends and family love them. You can always talk to them about your interests, and avoid waiting for them to hit bottom before speaking up. Assure them that you’ll support their recovery journey with full support from beginning to end.

Take Personal Counseling

Usually, it is helpful to get a few private counselling sessions for yourself. You see, counselling isn’t just for substance addicts. The more insight and understanding you have, the better you’ll be able to support your loved one. 

Additionally, there are numerous resources that can help you find counsellors. Your health insurance or the company’s Employee Assistance Program may have mental wellness benefits accessible to you. Discuss with someone you trust very much.

Seek Expert Help

One of the essential tips on how to help a loved one with drug abuse is to seek expert advice. If you need help with legal or monetary issues, it may be necessary to talk to attorney providers. Also, there are organizations that give services on a sliding-scale fee. 

Also, you can usually find some of them by running a quick search online. Some local churches generally provide low or no-cost counselling for addicts as well. 

However, the best course of action is to find an addiction recovery centre in Toronto. There, your loved one can get addiction treatment personalized to their specific needs. 

Bear Practical Expectations

Avoid lecturing or preaching to the addict; it won’t work. Usually, most find it difficult to hear what you’re saying. 

Also, don’t expect them to fulfil their promises. Ensure not to react to them with anger or pity. Don’t respond with compassion or anger. This may lead to you enabling the addict. Just be there whenever they need you. 

Final Tip — Always Take Good Care of Yourself

Our last tip on how to help a loved one with drug abuse is self-care. The most significant thing you can do to support an addict is to concentrate on your life. If you’re burdened because of their problems, it will only cause strain and resentment. Also, it can be tough to want to support a person who creates so much unrest in your life.

Therefore, you must find time to focus on yourself and personal pursuits. Take good care of yourself by eating, getting support, resting, and socializing. This way, you’ll be able to assist your loved one whenever they are ready.

Conclusion

Generally, no one wants to experience seeing their loved one in a bad situation. The same applies to drug abuse. If your loved one is struggling with addiction, it’ll affect you and your relationship with them. This is why the tips on how to help a loved one with drug abuse are essential.

Drug or alcohol addiction can destroy friends, work relationships, and families. However, the most outstanding help you can render is to help them seek treatment for their drug abuse. Be supportive and considerate, but be aware that they will probably create excuses for their behaviour. 

Continue to encourage them to seek help. Although it can be tough, this is the first significant step in how to help an addicted friend lead a healthy life in recovery.

However, understanding how to help a loved one with drug abuse is one aspect of addiction treatment and recovery. You have to ensure your loved one completes all the steps on the way to long-term sobriety and addiction recovery.

So, why not seek help from a professional addiction recovery centre in Toronto? Call Inspire Change Addiction Rehab in Vancouver for addiction treatment programs. Check out our addiction treatment services to help your loved ones today!