If you know someone who is struggling with addiction and substance abuse issues, you must understand that it may feel difficult for them to reach out for help. In the United States alone, millions of people struggle with addiction. It is important to reiterate that they are not alone in their struggles and have a strong team ready to support them every step throughout the recovery process.
Unfortunately, addiction not only impacts the specific individual, but it can impact family and friends as well.
Addiction can cause:
Financial issues
Legal obstacles
Changes in the addict’s behavior
The sadness of seeing a loved one struggle
Understanding addiction is not an easy undertaking. Treatment options can seem overwhelming or even confusing at times. It is completely understandable that you are worried about your loved ones and want to find effective ways to help them. Despite the hardships, any efforts toward recovery are positive steps taken.
Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with psychotherapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, and couples with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, and life transitions. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and telehealth (video/phone) sessions to residents of New Jersey and New York.
Before you go to help your loved one, it is helpful to be aware of the symptoms of addiction.
Some signs of alcohol addiction include:
Drinking alone
Secretly drinking
Experiencing withdrawal symptoms
Finding excuses for one’s drinking patterns
Temporary blackouts
Severe mood swings
Issues in one’s relationships
Unexpected changes in friends and hobbies
Feeling hungover when one is not consuming alcohol
Some signs of drug addiction include:
Alterations in one’s personality
Changes in one’s behavior
Bloodshot eyes
Consistent bloody noses
Slurred speech, shakes, and tremors
Financial issues
Unexpected changes in friends and hobbies
No longer caring about one’s hygiene
Adjustments to one’s daily routine
Once you have noticed signs of addiction in your loved one, you can talk to them in a way that is non-confrontational, optimistic, and supportive. If you would like to learn more about supporting a loved one with substance abuse problems, please continue to read along.
Learn More About Addiction and Substance Abuse
Knowledge is always power and the process of recovery from addiction and substance abuse is no exemption. When trying to help someone struggling with addiction, having an understanding of addiction and treatment is an undeniable benefit. It is most useful to know the specific type of addiction that your loved one is facing. For instance, if your loved one is dependent on opioids, it can be helpful to learn information directly related to the drug. In addition to learning more about the disease process, you can also learn about how dependency affects family and friends.
Once a recovery method has been decided upon, it is recommended that you research the treatment option itself. This can help you better understand what your loved one is going through and what is required of them. The more you understand about the dependency, the better you will be able to assist your loved one.
Public libraries, community centers, local mental health offices, and the Internet are all amazing resources for you to find out more about groups, support, treatment options, and much more!
2. Do Not Enable Your Loved One
Addiction recovery is a tricky process and it can sometimes be hard to distinguish between helping a loved one versus enabling them. At times, it can seem like we are assisting or protecting a loved one struggling with substance issues, but we are truly enabling their behavior. There may even be times when you are supporting their addiction without realizing it.
For example, your loved one may be constantly asking for financial support. You may help them by paying for their groceries or bills; however, this only prolongs the disease- allowing them to fund their addiction. Although you are assisting them, you are doing it in a way where they can avoid the consequences of their actions.
While it may be difficult to not intervene at times, your loved one must comprehend the effects of their dependency. People will often fail to change their behavior unless they are forced to confront the outcomes of their actions. If you truly want your loved one to recover, it is important to allow them to make mistakes so they can learn about the severity of their issue.
By enabling your loved one, it also becomes difficult for you to set boundaries. As stated previously, addiction impacts everyone, not just the addict. You may constantly be available as a source of emotional, physical, or financial support to your loved one to the point where it interferes with your well-being.
3. Care for Yourself
A loved one struggling with addiction certainly needs help, but it should not come at the cost of your welfare. Focusing on your well-being is the most important thing you can do for yourself and your loved one. If you begin to add the burdens of addiction onto your stressors, it can cause bitterness and tension. This can make it even harder to help your person when you consider the strain they have introduced to your life.
Remember that you cannot pour from an empty cup.
If you are looking to take better care of yourself, you can try to:
Exercise
Socialize
Get professional support
Get an adequate amount of sleep
4. Make Realistic Goals
It is crucial to have expectations for your loved one and hold them accountable to their goals, but you should not have unrealistic expectations. For instance, while your loved one is under the influence, they may make certain promises to you. Do not be surprised if they fall through on these promises. Drugs and alcohol can impair their thoughts which makes it difficult to follow through on commitments. You should not react with indifference or hostility.
The recovery process is a long but worthwhile goal. There is no quick fix. Your loved one’s recovery requires on-going support, time, and effort. Some clients need to test several treatment options until they find one that suits them best.
5. Seek Professional Help
Last but certainly not least, it is important to seek professional help in the form of counseling or therapy. Contrary to popular belief, therapy is not just for the person enduring substance issues, it can be equally beneficial to you. There is an immense amount of stress involved in helping a loved one through addiction issues, therefore it can be helpful to talk to someone. Acknowledging that you have a lot on your plate is healthy and completely normal. It is also essential for you to be operating at your fullest capacity so you can properly assist your loved one.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) are not only great resources for your loved one battling addiction, but the organizations also offer support groups for affected family members and friends. The Al-Anon Family Groups and Nar-Anon Family Groups provide you with the opportunity to learn from others who have faced similar problems in their families. These meetings are free of charge. From virtual meetings to international groups, AA and NA have resources to support you throughout every step in your loved one's recovery.
Also, Anchor Therapy can assist you in your capacity as a support system for someone battling addiction.
Additionally, we offer:
Addiction counseling
Gambling addiction counseling
Substance abuse counseling
Alcohol addiction counseling
Sex addiction treatment
Porn addiction counseling
Dual diagnosis treatment
Drug treatment programs
Substance abuse assessment
Support groups
And much more
Victoria Scala
is the Social Media Manager at Anchor Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey. She is currently an undergraduate student at the Honors College of Rutgers University-Newark, looking to study Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the graduate level. As a Social Media Manager at Anchor Therapy, Victoria is committed to producing content for and managing the office’s social media presence and blog.
