Do: Seek Counseling Or Therapy
Addiction affects everyone, from the person in treatment to their loved ones. Its important to ensure youre well enough to manage the potential stress of helping someone dealing with addiction. Acknowledging that you may be in over your head and in need of professional help is normal and healthy. Its also necessary for you to help your loved one to the best of your abilities.
Get Help For Your Loved One Today
As you can see, there are some specific steps to take if you want to succeed at getting an addict into drug treatment. If you approach the issue with sensitivity and take the time to research and prepare beforehand, youll have a greater chance of convincing them to take their health and well-being seriously and give drug and alcohol rehab a try.
If youre ready to get substance abuse treatment for your loved one, follow the steps outlined above. Feel free to reach out to us, too, to learn more about the admission process or for more guidance before you start moving forward with addressing your loved ones substance abuse.
How To Break The Stigma Of Drug Addiction
Like many people who are somehow different to the societys standards of what normal should be, those struggling with addictions are subjected to stigmas that can be extremely damaging.
Because of these stigmas, people with addictions are at higher-than-average risk of unemployment and homelessness. Their sense of self-worth, which is often low, to begin with, takes a dive and they are increasingly unlikely to get the help they need.
It is easy to say that people with addictions have made their own beds and now they must lie in them, but most situations are far more complex than that. Addictions have all kinds of origins some of them are results of poor choices, others are borne of circumstances.
Regardless of how addiction starts, the person suffering from it has a far greater chance of overcoming it if the people around them are non-judgmental and supportive. If you remember these facts about addiction, you can help break down the social stigmas and give addicts a better chance at overcoming their challenges and improving their lives.
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How To Get A Drug Addict Into Treatment If He Refuses To Go
The way to get a drug addict into treatment is to have them sign up on their own. Some addicts are so addicted that they will not go into rehab unless its court-ordered. If youre trying to help someone who refuses, there are steps you can take to get them the help they need without making it mandatory.
Some People Are Born With A Genetic Predisposition For Addiction
They have a natural disadvantage when it comes to coping with anxiety or conflict in their lives. The cycle of addiction can be passed from one generation to the next. Children who are raised in a home with parents who are addicts have a far greater likelihood of becoming addicts themselves. If the parents are given help, the benefits to younger generations can be immediate.
Most people are inherently good, and that includes those who suffer from addictions. Addicts are human beings, and just like anyone else, they deserve the opportunity to turn their lives into something positive. Many people who recover from addictions go on to accomplish remarkable things. They just need a helping hand and support along the way.
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Tips For Finding The Best Drug Addiction Treatment For You
Remember that no treatment works for everyone. Everyones needs are different. Whether you have a problem with illegal or prescription drugs, addiction treatment should be customized to your unique situation. Its important that you find a program that feels right.
Treatment should address more than just your drug abuse. Addiction affects your whole life, including your relationships, career, health, and psychological well-being. Treatment success depends on developing a new way of living and addressing the reasons why you turned to drugs in the first place. For example, your drug dependency may have developed from a desire to manage pain or to cope with stress, in which case youll need to find a healthier way to relieve pain or to handle stressful situations.
Commitment and follow-through are key. Drug addiction treatment is not a quick and easy process. In general, the longer and more intense the drug use, the longer and more intense the treatment youll need. And in all cases, long-term follow-up care is crucial to recovery.
There are many places to turn for help. Not everybody requires medically supervised detox or an extended stint in rehab. The care you need depends on a variety of factors, including your age, drug-use history, medical or psychiatric conditions. In addition to doctors and psychologists, many clergy members, social workers, and counselors offer addiction treatment services.
What Are Your Options To Help An Addict
The many ways that we offer to help addicts are often detrimental to them, or ourselves. There is no logic when it comes to addiction. Often, we can only help ourselves. When we take care of ourselves, we dont place blame where it does not belong it gives us the chance to begin healing. When we start to heal, we can help others heal. We can offer the necessary help to our addicted loved one in a healthy manner for both parties.
If your loved one is ready to accept help and admit to a drug rehab, contact us today at 888-345-2025. You can heal, we can help. GH Recovery Solutions offers a Family Program to help you and your loved one. We know that having support in addiction recovery is important let us get you both on the path to recovery.
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What If It Fails
Theres always a chance that an intervention can fail, which means you should be prepared no matter the outcome. Think about what went wrong and brainstorm changes for a second attempt. Set up a second intervention soon after. It may take several interventions to get through to someone, but ultimately its worth it to see your loved one taking control of their life and wellbeing again.
Specifically How To Help A Drug Addict Who Doesnt Want Help
Having a strong desire to help a loved one suffering from addiction is only natural. The tips below will allow you to experience the greatest success in encouraging your family member to have the strength to reach out for help.
Many struggling families have found themselves wondering how to help a drug addict who doesnt want help. While you cannot force another individual to submit to professional treatment, there are several steps you can take to encourage proper care in this situation.
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Help Them Create A Sober Peer Network
Recovery from addiction often means needing to change social circles. Many of your loved ones previous friends may have been involved in using substances.
Your loved one may have to avoid them for the sake of their sobriety. At the same time, theyll need to develop a sober peer network.
Developing a circle of friends can be difficult at the best of times. For someone in recovery, it can be even harder. They may need help.
You can help them with this in several ways. Encouraging them to get back in touch with friends who werent involved in substance abuse can be recommended.
So, too, can connect some of your sober friends with them. Over time, this can become easier. Its the initial steps that may prove difficult. Theyll eventually be involved in social activities, however.
Stop Enabling The Addiction
Its also important to understand the difference between helping and enabling. If youre financially supporting a loved one whos struggling with addiction or lying to help them hide the problem, then youre enabling.1
When you recognize this behavior and stop it, the benefits are twofold. First, your loved one will begin to see the consequences of their actions. Second, by refusing to continue your enabling behaviors youll make it harder for your loved one to keep feeding their addiction.
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Addressing The Dangers Of The Drug
A meth treatment program that will help set them up on the road to long-term recovery from meth addiction involves intensive support for their physical, psychological, emotional, and behavioral symptoms, as well as the constructive development of long-range coping strategies. Particularly for the psychological symptoms of withdrawalthe cravings and possible psychosis, paranoia, depression, suicidal ideation, anxiety, and aggressiona medically supervised detox can ensure the safest and most comfortable transition away from the drug.
Once someone has gotten clean, the risk of relapse is high. A long-term residential treatment program can help them to build a foundation for sustained recovery. With cognitive behavioral therapy and other psychotherapy modalities, peer support, holistic therapies, and family involvement, clients discover strength from many corners of themselves and their livesenough to help them manage the triggers and stressors that drove them to use in the past.
Biological Factors: How Does Your Body Work
In early human history, food scarcity happened on the regular.
To survive, humans evolved to overeat when food was abundant, especially when that food was tasty and calorie-rich.6,7,8
But now, the instinct that once helped us survive makes it hard to stop eating.9
Highly-processed foodsespecially those with a combination of sugar, fat, and saltare the most difficult to resist.
Much like drugs and alcohol, these foods trigger a range of rewarding, feel-good neurochemicals, including dopamine. Highly-processed foods have this effect even when youre not hungry.10,11,12
These days, highly-processed foods are so accessible that you have to rely on your ability to self-regulate, or control your behavior, in order to resist them.
But people who deal with compulsive overeating often have a hard time self-regulating.
Heres why:
People with compulsive overeating may
Struggle with impulse control, possibly because the planning, strategizing center of the brain is impaired. This might be a hallmark of all addictions, and can contribute to poor recovery outcomes.14,15
React more easily and intensely to stressors. They have a higher level of cortisol release than others.16 And because stress can trigger addictive behaviors, people who are more physically sensitive to stress may be more likely to use food as a way to cope.
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Three: Seek Addiction Treatment For The Individual
Methamphetamine addiction treatment can be found in an inpatient and outpatient capacity as well as in long-term, short-term, and at free clinics. Fortunately, there are many resources for someone looking for methamphetamine addiction treatment, including directories such as SAMHSAs treatment facility locator.
According to the NIDAs Principles of Effective Treatment, treatment does not need to be voluntary to be effective. In the case that the individual cannot be reasoned into attending treatment, inpatient centers often allow others to make that decision. Sanctions or enticements from family, employment settings, and/or the criminal justice system can significantly increase treatment entry, retention rates, and the ultimate success of drug treatment interventions.
If you seek treatment for the individual and they either voluntarily or involuntarily attend, they will be given
- Medication to help curb the symptoms of withdrawal as well as any issues with stimulant-induced psychosis
- Therapy sessions that will teach them how to fight their cravings and avoid triggers
- Treatment for any co-occurring mental disorders as well as immediate treatment for any harmful physical ailments caused by the drug abuse
- A safe environment in which to heal
- The ability to see how their addiction is hurting them as well as you
How To Help A Loved One With Addiction Issues: Wrapping Up
If you dont know how to help a loved one with addiction issues, you mightnt feel great about not being there for them. You shouldnt need to be in that position.
You can help your loved one in multiple ways. The above will all be more than recommended. Consulting a professional is always helpful.
Doing so will give you expert advice about how you can help. Itll also give you information specifically about how your loved one can be helped.
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Keep Your Expectations Realistic
Once you start helping, dont be the type to preach and lecture the addict all the time. In most cases, theyll block it out and wont hear what you have to say. The right way how to support someone is to make them accountable to expectations.
Offer them help if they want to get the right treatment needed to get out of their addiction. Dont expect them to fulfill all their promises. They wont have the right mindset while theyre affected by their illness.
Dont be mad at them or show outward pity. This will only prolong the process of treatment for them. If they need help, make sure to get in touch with institutions that can help. Find out how they can assess your loved one and refer them to the right people for treatment.
There are also Legal Aid programs you can connect with. Check if there are any in your area and see if your loved one has the right qualifications. At the very least, these people can help direct you to someone who can help.
Remove Your Enabling Habits
One of the things you can do, as a loved one, is to stop your enabling behavior. As previously noted, many people provide for their loved ones needs. You do it because you love them. You want to save your son or daughters life. You want your spouse to just get better. Just one more chance, you think, and it will get betterbut then it doesnt. Heres what you can do to stop enabling your loved one:
- Stop providing an excuse for their use.
- Dont give them money for groceries or other needs. Dont pay any bills for them.
- Stop providing the alcohol or the money for drugs.
- Stop covering up their addictive behaviors.
- Dont do their work for them.
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Know The Signs Of Relapse
One of the first things youll need to be aware of are the signs of relapse. Youll need to be on the lookout for them in case the situation arises.
While this hopefully wont happen, its something youll need to be prepared for. The early warning signs can differ from person to person.
Knowing your loved ones particular red flags is vital. A relapse will not only affect their life, but yours and the rest of the familys.
The longer the relapse goes on, the worse than it will be. By knowing warning signs, you can address the situation much earlier. Thatll minimize any potential consequences.
Having a relapse prevention plan is vital for this. Having other family members, alongside professional help, involved in this is recommended.
There Are Two Key Components Of Recovery From Alcohol And Drug Addiction
The first is for the individual using these substances to get help to detox and obtain mental and physical treatment. The second part is to help you, the family member who cares so much for the individual who seems destined to destroy their life. The pain and burden worsen when a loved one refuses to obtain treatment. What can you do in this situation?
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How To Tell If Your Son Or Daughter Is Addicted To Meth
Whether or not someone appears healthy, if they are addicted to meth, they may be headed toward extremely serious health complications. These include heart attack, stroke, seizures, delusions, hallucinations, eating disorders, and possibly death. Methamphetamine speeds up the bodys nervous system, affecting the heart rate, blood pressure, breath, temperature, and energy levels. Because of meths highly addictive nature, recreational users tend to take the drug for the stimulant effects, over time needing more and more of it to achieve the desired high. The side effects can be extensive and dangerousno matter how much of the drug a person takesbecause everyone reacts to it differently.
Getting high on meth can give someone confidence, energy, and feelings of euphoria. It can also distort a persons thoughts and perception of reality, overload their nervous system and cardiovascular systems, and diminish their ability to participate in life as they have in the past. Again, symptoms of meth abuse vary, but here are some of the signs that you can look for in your daughter or your son:
- Uncharacteristic joyfulness and self-confidence
The Dos And Donts Of Helping A Loved One With An Addiction
Once youve noticed the signs of addiction in your loved one like an Alcohol Addiction or an Opioid Addiction, for example youll need to know how to talk to and treat them in a way that is positive and helpful. There are several ways to do this, some easy to practice and others that require a little more effort and understanding on your part. Here are a few dos and donts for helping a loved one deal with addiction:
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Supporting A Loved Ones Addiction Recovery
Theres no one-size-fits-all solution to overcoming an addiction to drugs, and its rarely a process thats quick or straightforward. While you can support your loved one and encourage treatment, you cant force them to change or control their decision-making. Letting your loved one assume responsibility for their behavior and choices is an important step on their road to sobriety.
Adjust your expectations. Everyone is different. Recovery for one person may mean total abstinence from drugs. For another, it could mean cutting back or staying mostly drug-free. Being too rigid in your expectations can lead to disappointment and a sense of failure, even if your loved one finds stability in their life again.
Encourage your loved one to seek help. While some people are able to quit drugs on their own, the more help and support a person has, the better their chances of success. Offer to sit with your loved one while they call a helpline or accompany them to a doctors appointment, counseling session, or peer support group meeting.
Help plan for triggers and cravings. Your loved one will need to find ways to cope with drug cravings and triggers. You can help distract them with other activities or encourage them to learn how to ride out the urge, but ultimately, they have to be responsible for their own sobriety.
Treatment options
