One in ten Americans suffers from addiction. That’s almost 20% of Americans over the age of 12!
This means that someone you care about is currently suffering.
Knowing how to help someone get off drugs is important. But it’s not easy.
You may lack the power to cure your loved one. But some knowledge can help. The key is not to lose yourself in the process.
Below are some practical tips to help someone get off drugs.
How to Help Someone Get Off Drugs (If They Are Ready)
Are you lucky enough to have a loved one ready to get off drugs?
The main ingredient needed is to have a person wanting to stay sober. In this case, you can help in many ways.
Learn About the Disease
It’s important to learn more about the disease of addiction. It’s just that. A disease.
When you know that it’s a disease, you can be more compassionate. It’s easier to be understanding when you get to know the facts.
Addiction is not simply a choice. You aren’t choosing between bacon and eggs or pancakes for breakfast. Addiction takes choices away. The person physically needs the drug to avoid the pain of withdrawal.
Helping someone with a drug addiction requires some self-education.
Addiction affects a person’s brain. The physical part of the addiction makes a person sick if don’t do the drug. The mental part of the addiction can literally make them crazy and irrational.
Different drugs affect people differently. But, the disease of addiction is basically the same.
Motivate Them
Help motivate your loved one. Give them something to believe in and work towards.
The fact is, addicts feel all alone. Even if they have friends and family who love them, they believe they are alone.
People addicted to drugs are also depressed almost 100% of the time. It doesn’t matter if they are depressed because of the drug or if the drug causes it. The symptoms are the same.
You can help a person you care about to get off drugs by:
- Motivating them to change their environment
- Going to 12-step meetings with them
- Actively listening to them
- Empathizing
- Providing resources to help with treatment
- Believing in them
Guide Them
If a person wants help with a drug problem, you can also help by guiding him or her. When you educate yourself, you can help educate others.
You can guide a person by helping to celebrate small successes. These successes include:
- Staying sober for one day, or even one hour
- Getting out of bed
- Taking a shower
- Going to a counseling appointment
- Achieving a small goal
- Going to a 12-step meeting
- Asking for help
- Going to rehab
If They’re Not Ready, Save Yourself First
If your loved one is not ready, there’s not much you can do.
You cannot make someone get sober. But you can take care of yourself. There are support groups, like Alanon for friends and family of addicts.
Understanding how to help someone get off drugs requires patience. You need to learn about the power of addiction.
Being there for someone is helpful. But first, learn to be there for yourself!