Offering Substance Abuse Help And Support
There are several ways to support and help a person with depression and substance abuse issues. If a loved one is experiencing the aforementioned symptoms or has had a history of either mental illness or substance abuse, you are probably looking for effective techniques to ease their suffering. Continue to provide a compassionate ear and listen to their concerns, challenges, and fears. Keep in mind that listening does not equal problem-solving. Avoid the temptation to provide answers to each of their dilemmas or to take care of their every need. Making things too easy is allowing them to continue passing responsibility for their lives onto other people. Offering depression and addiction help is a fine line between actually helping and creating a codependency in which you are supporting their addiction.
When your loved one knows that you genuinely care about them and are committed to their recovery process, they will build the character they need to stand independently and move toward sobriety. This is how you foster an environment where their depression and addiction recovery becomes possible. This includes taking ownership of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors without placing blame on others or attempting to manipulate situations for their own benefit. If they have already been diagnosed and placed on a treatment plan for mental health or substance abuse, they will be responsible to uphold their commitment to the treatment for one or both conditions.
How To Choose The Best Drug Rehabilitation Facility In Canada
Addiction Canada is one of the premier facilities in the country that offers flexible addiction recovery treatments. There are different locations, settings, and actual programs that cater to the unique and varied needs and financial situations of the client. The facility focuses on contemporary approaches particularly on cases that require effort, time, and aftercare programs for full recovery.
How To Set Boundariesand Stick To Them
Also Check: How To Stop Nicotine Addiction
What Do Parents Need To Know
When you have a child struggling with substance abuse, attempting to handle it on your own can be extremely overwhelming and can eventually become your first and only priority. It may also be difficult to take the first step because addressing the problem is disruptive of school and extracurricular activities.2 However, addiction is far more disruptive to your childs life in the end, and treatment can work. Taking the time now to get help can save your childs life.
Don Not Let Their Addiction Struggles Take Over Your Life
Sometimes a loved ones addiction can consume your life to the point of it swallowing you and your family whole.
You can still love the addict/alcoholic in your family while at the same time caring for yourself and other family members who might be caught up in the situation as well. You do this by carrying on with your regular life, work and interests taking time to care for yourself.
Try first getting involved in free support groups like the organizations we mentioned previously . You can look into therapy. It does help to talk to someone. These things can help you get a better understanding of how to cope and protect your family. Remember, you are not responsible for their addiction. Do your best, and that is all you can do.
You May Like: How To Overcome Alcohol Addiction
How Do I Help Someone Struggling With Drug Addiction
Watching someone you love struggle with drug addiction can be heartbreaking. You may be afraid to say anything for fear of pushing them away. It isnt easy to bring up the topic of drug addiction, but it may be easier than seeing them suffer.
Addiction is a complicated psychological issue that needs to be handled with care. It is important not to approach the person with judgment, hostility, or blame. Treating a person poorly because of their drug addiction is likely to cause them stress, which is a primary trigger for substance use. Here are some things you can do to address the situation carefully:
Speak With Compassion And Listen Without Judgment
When youre trying to help someone with drug addiction or alcoholism, what you say matters a lot. Even more important, however, is the tone that you use. Speaking with compassion means communicating from a place of love and best intentions for the person. It requires doing your best to understand how your loved one feels. It means listening with empathy and not judging them in any way. Ensure that they feel heard and validate their struggle. Make sure they understand that you want them to get better because you love them and want whats best for them.
Shame. Fear. Isolation. Regret. Helplessness. Pain. Hopelessness.
These sorts of feelings fuel drug and alcohol addiction. The antidote to these emotions is compassion, which involves helping your family member feel supported, connected, and loved. Furthermore, by expressing compassionate kindness, you will help your loved one develop self-compassion. And self-compassion is a powerful tool for working towards addiction recovery.
Don’t Miss: How Can Rehab Help Drug Addicts
Help For The Person You Care For
Help is available for people with a drug problem. However, it’s important to realise that your friend or family member will only seek help when they’re ready.
The main way to access these services and support is by talking to a doctor. Alternatively, the person you care for can contact their nearest drug addiction service.
How You Can Help Them
Even when they know they have a drug problem, it can be difficult for people to change. You may need to be patient. If the person isnât ready to seek help, you can still support them by trying to minimise the impact that their drug use has on them and others around them.
If you are concerned about a friend or family memberâs drug use, it is important to reach out to a professional and get some advice on how to approach the issue with them.
You may be able to help by letting them know about the support that’s available to them. If they choose to seek help for their drug use, you can support them by being understanding about how they’re feeling, while encouraging them in the changes they’ve chosen to make.
For many people, taking action to deal with their drug use is just the start, and maintaining the changes they’ve made may be the most difficult part. Recognising situations that could trigger their drug use, and trying to avoid these, could help. If the person you care for does lapse back into drug use, you can encourage them to seek help, for example by keeping in contact with local support services.
If the person you care for continues to use drugs despite the support you provide, this can be very frustrating and demoralising. Remember, the decision to use drugs is their responsibility, not yours, and make sure you seek help for yourself as a carer.
Read Also: Does Alcohol Addiction Run In Families
How To Help Someone With A Drug Addiction
Whether its a close friend, a spouse or a family member, helping someone struggling with drug addiction is never easy. There is no magic formula that can force them to stop using and get the help they need. Yet, the compassion and support of loved ones may be what helps them break the cycle and find freedom. Here are some suggestions on how you can help someone with a drug addiction.
Be Aware Of Underlying Issues
Addiction doesnt happen in a vacuum. Many people use drugs and alcohol to mask issues such as childhood trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder . Your loved one may be using drugs to deal with stress, depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues.
If you want to support them, be aware that addiction is not a personality flaw or a failure in most cases, your loved one is struggling with something much deeper.
Also Check: Can You Become Addicted To Xanax
Dont: Give In To Manipulation
When a person with an addiction is unwilling to seek treatment, they will resort to whatever they need to do to continue feeding their addiction. This may include lying or trying to guilt the people who care for them. Its important to establish boundaries and learn how to say no. It may be very difficult to not react negatively or to stick to your established rules, but its necessary for everyone involved.
What To Expect In Rehab
If your loved one has decided to enter a treatment program for their addiction, they can expect to first check-in and complete an intake interview. This will allow the program to create a plan tailored to their needs.
The next step involves detoxing to remove any substances from their body. This process can take anywhere from three to 14 days and can be aided by medications to ease withdrawal symptoms.
After detox, the next step involves therapy to help them adjust and develop new thought and behavior patterns that will support their long-term recovery.
Don’t Miss: How To Help An Addict In Denial
Will I Be Fired From Work If I Get Drug Addiction Help
Considering that addiction is a disease, federal law protects you from discrimination in the workplace. Understandably, firing due to addiction is a common thought among those who aim to recover through treatment. If you act promptly and remain transparent with your employer, you should be covered for the 30-90 days of treatment .
To preserve your civil liberties, the following acts are in place for this difficult period:
- ADA The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
- The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- The Workforce Investment Act
- Health Insurance and Portability Act of 1996
- Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993
Dos And Donts When Your Loved One Is Struggling With Addiction
Finding out that your loved one is struggling with drugs or alcohol can be heartbreaking. It can leave you feeling angry, hurt, and confused. While it is normal to feel overwhelmed right now, it is important to realize that all hope is not lost. Recovery is possible, and you can help your loved one get there.
Youre most likely wondering what you can do to help? What to say? Where to start? And while there is no set guideline as to how to handle a loved ones addiction, there are certain dos and donts that you should know.
Read Also: How Do You Help Someone Addicted To Drugs
How Can I Tell If My Friend Is Addicted To Drugs
Their behaviour, their physical appearance, and certain stuff in their environment can provide clues as to whether your friend might be addicted to drugs.
Behavioural clues
- sudden changes in behaviour or mood swings
- withdrawal from family members and old friendship groups
- carelessness about personal grooming
- loss of interest in hobbies, sports or other favourite activities
- neglect of responsibilities.
- red, glassy or bloodshot eyes, or pupils that are smaller or larger than normal
- sniffing or a runny nose
- frequent nosebleeds
- shakes, tremors, incoherent or slurred speech, impaired or unstable coordination
- sudden weight loss or weight gain.
Other clues
The following items could also be a sign of addiction:
- spoons and syringes
- small, resealable baggies that could be used to store drugs
- pipes, plastic bottles, or cans that have been pierced or tampered with
- burnt foil
- stuff missing, such as money, valuables or prescription drugs.
My Friend Took Drugs Once Will They Become An Addict
Most people only develop an addiction after regularly taking a drug. Its highly unlikely that anyone will develop an addiction after taking drugs once or twice or from drinking once or twice.
Some signs that a person is getting addicted to alcohol or drugs are:
- they take the drug very regularly or drink very regularly
- they take it despite trying to cut down or stop
- they lie about how much they take or take it in secret
- they keep taking it despite the harm it’s causing
- they drink or take drugs alone
- they do extreme things to get the drug or alcohol like stealing, getting into debt or faking symptoms to get prescription drugs
- they do less of the things they enjoy, because the drugs or alcohol are getting in the way
Remember that people who are addicted often dont think they are, or dont feel like they can admit it.
So if you think your friend has a problem and you want to help them, think about how you’re going to approach the topic and what youre going to say as you dont want to upset them.
And if they dont listen to you at first, dont be put off. Just give them some space and try again in a little while.
Read Also: Am I Addicted To Video Games Test
Provide A Safe And Sober Environment
One of the most beneficial things you can do for your addicted loved one is to provide them with basic needs, such as shelter and food. These things sound basic, but for people dealing with addiction, theyre not taken for granted. Drug addicts and alcoholics often struggle with homelessness and malnutrition. Theyre at high-risk for being assaulted, robbed, or even trafficked. A safe living environment or an offer to let someone stay the night in a pinch could mean the world to them and may be the glimmer of hope they need.
This may not be appropriate to do in every case. If you dont know the person well, maybe you can help set them up with someone who does know them well. And in every case, make sure you set and stick to your boundaries to keep yourself and them safe. For example, they can live with you but cannot do drugs or drink alcohol in the house.
Enabling Patterns In A School Setting
- Not regulating places where students consume drugs or alcohol:
- Failure to supervise problem areas makes students think that they have a safe and uncontrolled space to engage in substance use.
- Not acknowledging money or drug exchanges on school grounds:
- Turning a blind eye to these behaviors enables students to carry out restricted activities without fearing consequences.
- Disregarding unacceptable behaviors in the classroom:
- Ignoring students when they openly admit to substance consumption or intoxication reinforces their substance using behaviors.
- Not reporting intoxicated students:
- Failing to discipline students or refer them to the schools student assistance programs delays them from getting the treatment they need.
- Not having specific rules against substance use:
- When there are no rules about drug use in the classroom or in the academic code of conduct, students may believe that there are no consequences for their actions.
- Counseling students without proper training:
- Teachers and staff who are not trained insubstance abuse counseling may be too lenient or too aggressive with students, hindering their potentialrecovery.
- Being in denial about a student:
- Denying that students with good academic or athletic performance would be involved in substance use delays timely treatment.
- Lowering expectations for some students:
- All students deserve equal treatment, including those struggling with a substance use disorder.
Addiction is a disease
View Sources
Don’t Miss: How To Get Rid Of An Eating Addiction
Are Drug Addiction And Depression Related
There is a strong correlation between drug addiction and depression due to overlapping symptoms.
Often individuals who become addicted to drugs will struggle with the side-effects and withdraw symptoms of the drugs, hide from their family, friends, and loved activities, and feel shame about their activities leading to feelings of depression that can continue beyond normal passing feelings. The depression associated with use can be learned and become difficult to manage with abusing substances.
On the other hand, individuals who are depressed can more easily become addicted to drugs. Individuals diagnosed with depression and put on an anti-depressant have the opportunity to abuse their prescription. Additionally, individuals who are depressed will seek out drugs to provide a high to alter their mental state and feel better. While this is a temporary trick, individuals who struggle with depression can become attached to the euphoria created by the drug and chase the high.
Because the two disorders are so interconnected, individuals often struggle with figuring out if they need support for addiction to mental health. The answer is both.
Get Help For Yourself First
Being in a relationship with a person who has an addiction is often stressful. It’s important that you accept that what you are going through is difficult and seek support. You also need to develop stress management strategies, which is an important step in helping your loved one as well as yourself.
You might want to consider participating in support groups, such as Al-Anon or Naranon. Children and teens can get support from Alateen.
Read Also: How Many People Are Addicted To Drugs
