How to Help a Family Member with an Addiction

When a family member has an addiction, the entire family can be impacted. If you have a family member or friend with an addiction, you already know that drug addiction is complicated and can affect every aspect of the addict's life. You may want to help, but you aren't sure what to do or are worried there is nothing that you can do.

You aren't alone. According to the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Mental Health - There are 20.4 millio Americans aged 12 or older, who had a substance use disorder (such as alcohol use disorder, illicit drug use disorder, or both) in the previous year.

There are effective treatment options for drug abuse available, and intervention by family and friends can sometimes lead a person on the first steps to getting help.

The American Psychiatric Association lists some suggestions for how friends and family can help including the following:

Learning

By educating yourself about alcohol and drug addiction you are better able to understand what your loved one is experiencing. The National Drug Abuse Institute is a good resource for learning about effective treatments of addiction.

Manage Your Expectations

Don't expect the person to stop their addiction without help. Treatment, from treatment centers like this drug rehab Los Angeles, support, and new coping skills are needed to overcome addiction. Also, it may take more than one attempt to recover. Relapse is a normal part of many diseases, including addiction, and it doesn't mean that you shouldn't keep trying. Each attempt at recovery is worthwhile.

Offer Support

Speak up and offer your support to a loved one that is struggling. Talk together about your conce s, but avoid preaching or being overly emotional. Offer your help and support, including your willingness to go with them and get help.

Don't assume their responsibilities. Don't cover up, lie, or make excuses for their behavior. Otherwise, you are preventing the addict from feeling the consequences of their actions.

Like other chronic diseases, the earlier addiction is treated, the better. It gets harder to recover as the addiction progresses, so early intervention is critical.

Timing

Wait until the timing is right to have a discussion. When someone is drunk or high it is difficult to have a rational and clear discussion. When you do talk, express love and concern. Be prepared with specific examples of behavior that has you worried as your conce may be met with anger, excuses, and denial.

Be in it for the Long Haul

Support recovery as an ongoing process: once your friend or family member is receiving treatment, or going to meetings, remain involved. Continue to show that you are conce ed about his/her successful long-term recovery.

When an addict relapses, they are often considered to have failed. But, an alte ate view suggests that addiction should be thought of in the same way as other diseases. The road to a cure is not a straight one.

Take Care of Yourself

While it is important to offer support to your family member, remember to set boundaries. If you get burnt out and overly stressed it will be difficult to be supportive.

In addition, don't feel guilty or responsible for their behavior. It's not your fault.

There is Hope

Although some of the statistics mentioned here seem bleak, there is hope. Drawing statistics from the same SAMSHA report mentioned above, approximately 78.5 percent of addicts considered themselves either to be in recovery or to have fully recovered from their alcohol or other drug use problem.