How To Get Help For Your Loved One With An Addiction

Watching a loved one suffer from addiction, whether it’s an addiction that they’ve suffered from for a long time, a new addiction or even a relapse following treatment, it can be an incredibly tough thing to do. Thankfully, there are things you can do to get that person help, even if you’ve never dealt with addiction before.

How You Can Help

Here are just a few things that you need to remember:

Do Not Enable – it can be incredibly tempting to step in and help a loved one when they stop being able to manage simple daily tasks such as their own responsibilities, whether that’s money, household chores or even childcare. It can be tough drawing the line between being a supportive friend or family member and enabling their behaviour. While this is always done from a good place, it can actually be shielding the person from their own reality, stopping them from actually facing the true consequences of their addiction.
Be Compassionate – while many may think tough love is the way forward, it can actually be counterproductive. Would you be surprised to learn that negative support from friends and family is one of the biggest barriers when it comes to seeking professional treatment? Encouragement to seek help can be one of the greatest motivators.

Avoid Guilt Or Shame – someone suffering with addiction will likely already feel guilty or shame and even anger about what they’re doing. They’ll act in a defensive manner about what they’re doing. While it can be difficult, especially if the person in question has already hurt or upset you through their current actions, it is important to remember to focus on love. This will only enhance their chance of recovery further, especially as research shows that shame is one of the least effective incentives to change.

Remain Positive – even when times are tough, when hope begins to fade, remain positive that addiction is treatable. Addiction can destroy relationships. Addiction can destroy lives but above everything, it’s treatable and with the right actions, you can help them get the treatment they need.

Staging Interventions

Family and friends can sometimes be just as affected by addiction as the person addicted themselves. If the addict however is struggling to admit to their current situation, it may be a good idea to stage an intervention. This can help them see what’s happening in front of them and how it’s affecting the people around them. These can be led by professionals such as Infinity Addiction Solutions, an addiction treatment rehab in Essex and London. Professionals can guide the meetings ensuring everyone gets to say what they need to in order to help the addict understand the nature of the problem.

Contact The Professionals

If you’re lucky enough that the person in question wants to receive help, then it may simply be a case of putting them in touch with someone like Infinity Addiction Solutions who’ll be able to provide them with the treatment they need. Infinity Addiction Solutions provide private rehabilitation services in the UK for a multitude of different addictions. They can help in both an inpatient and outpatient perspective, offering residential and non-residential treatment programs, bespoke to the person in question.

If you’re concerned for your loved one, contact them today on 0800 334 5541.