Supporting someone struggling with addiction

Introduction

Supporting someone struggling with addiction : Sounds Easy? Sadly: no.

It is not an easy task.

Out of a genuine desire to help people will jump in and try and rescue which won’t work.

Others, out of a fear of becoming dragged into the spiral of addiction will try and keep a wide birth.

Knowing what to do in a situation like this is not something most people ever thought they would have to deal with.

Our addictions clinicians each have decades of experience assessing, diagnosing, prescribing for and treating people caught up in addiction.

Here they share their experience and knowledge with you so you can make informed decisions.

Supporting someone Struggling With Addiction :What do I say to someone?  

Before you do this, it is important to understand what the problem is .

Gaining an understanding of what addiction is crucial when you support someone.

No one wakes up in the morning with a desire or plan to become addicted to drugs, it is the culmination of a chain of events.

A doctors prescription can lead to addiction

Supporting a loved one with addiction challenges can be daunting, whether they became addicted through genuine prescription use or due to other life stresses.

For some, especially with opioids, it may stem from a legitimate prescription for pain following an injury or surgery that spiralled out of control.

For others, an escape due to abuse.

Some people use stimulants to try and enhance their performance, both in the bedroom, on the racetrack or in the boardroom.

Some, because of peer pressure and others because of depression or anxiety: Every individual is just that: an individual.

It matters not if you are gay, straight, bi, white, black, male, female or in a wheelchair.

Muslim, Jewish, Christian: No one is immune.

Establishing comprehension around addiction is part of supporting a loved one struggling through their battle with addiction and helping to support loved ones struggling with addiction today.

Understanding this can help you genuinely support loved one struggling with addiction today and assist in their journey.

Empathy: Not sympathy from a basis of understanding

Addiction is a disease, just as diabetes or asthma.

If you had a relative who was insulin dependent diabetic, you wouldn’t criticize them for having to monitor their carbohydrate intake.

Similarly, finding ways to support loved ones as they struggle with addiction today is crucial for their recovery.

If you have a friend who is in recovery from alcohol, you would not be offended if they declined a social gathering invitation so they could attend an AA meeting.

Knowing about addiction, its effects, and the available treatment options positions someone to offer appropriate support while loved ones are struggling with addiction, and to effectively support loved ones struggling. 

Supporting someone Struggling With Addiction :Offer support but do not enable

Making someone, caught up in addiction, aware that you want to support them could make all the difference when you support loved ones struggling with addiction today.

Remember, support for your loved ones struggling is crucial.

Many clients, in treatment, will tell you that they were unaware of how much support was available to them from their “inner circle” until someone came forward.

Supporting someone doesn’t mean enabling them.

For example, paying someone’s drug debt and/or “scoring” for them is not supporting.

The only exception to this is where someone who is heavily alcohol dependent should never be left without alcohol due to the danger of withdrawal.

If you need advice and/or support before speaking to someone you are worried about, please call in. Alternatively, we can provide rehab advice online.

We can help with drug addiction rehab UK as well as drug misuse advice UK. It is vital to effectively support a loved one struggling with addiction and ensure they get the support needed.

Supporting someone struggling with addiction today calls for reminding them they’re not alone.

Supporting someone Struggling With Addiction :Encourage them to get help 

This can be the most challenging aspect.

You may well be asking yourself: How do I support loved ones struggling with addiction today?

The adage “You can take a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink” comes to mind.

When you support a loved one through addiction, several avenues are available today, including treatment facilities.

Treatment, in the UK, is voluntary.

Trying to deceive someone into getting into treatment is, not only entirely unethical and illegal, but it is also counterproductive.

It would destroy any trust between the person in addiction and the person trying to help.

Obtain leaflets, show them websites, give them the phone number for Find me a Rehab: It matters not.

If you are going to plan an “intervention”, with the help of family/friends, ensure it is not done in a confrontational manner.

Supporting a loved one struggling with addiction requires trust and understanding as you offer support to your loved one amidst addiction struggles today, ensuring compassionate avenues for support exist.

Support the person while in treatment 

Having achieved an admission for someone caught up in addiction, it is essential that they feel supported: both in treatment and after discharge.

Withdrawing support could be damaging to their recovery.

Some centers, with the person in treatment’s consent, may invite you in to join a therapy session and/or discuss aspects of the post-discharge recovery plan. 

Consistent, sincere support for loved ones struggling with addiction today is key to their recovery.

Supporting loved ones struggling with addiction is not as difficult as you might think; today, ensure consistent support.

Be aware of your limitations 

Supporting someone caught up in addiction can be draining.

Offering support is vital, but it’s essential to avoid burnout as you help a loved one struggling with addiction today.

Recognize your limitations while offering support.

You cannot cure an addict, but you can certainly help.

As with anyone who is ill, it is important to be healthy yourself and to look after your own needs: first.

Remember, while focusing on supporting a loved one struggling with addiction today, ensure you do not neglect your own well-being.

How can Find me a Rehab help?  

We are not just here to advise on which rehab may be suitable.

Our clinicians, with their decades of experience in the field of addictions, can provide free, confidential and impartial advice to anyone concerned about their own, or someone else’s, drug and alcohol addiction.

For those who don’t feel up to talking, we can provide free rehab advice online.

Our clinicians can provide free drug misuse advice UK as well as information on drug addiction rehab UK, offering pathways on how someone could support a loved one struggling with addiction effectively today.

We only signpost to legally recognised centres.

Get help today

Call, email or live chat with an experienced addictions clinician on any aspect of addiction, detox, rehab, home detox, therapy, relapse prevention and aftercare.

We can advise you on treatment options, treatment plans, locations, costings, logistics and availability.

Our advice is free, impartial and confidential.

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