Addiction is becoming an epidemic in the United States. If you’re watching an addiction destroy a relative, you aren’t helpless. There are tips you can utilize to help them through this difficult period in their life.
Stage an Intervention
You may find it difficult to approach your relative by yourself in regards to their addiction. When just one person confronts an addict about their addiction, they tend to get defensive or deflect the topic of conversation. Confronting an addict by staging an intervention with several friends and family members helps to keep the conversation productive. It also helps to make the addict see how serious of a situation it is by seeing the number of people who are willing to sit down to discuss the problem.
Don’t Enable
Most addicts will deny their addiction. This denial of their condition can be quite strong. Before they will agree to get help, they must emerge from their state of denial. The best way to do this is to allow them to experience the consequences of their addiction. Financially supporting their addiction or financially supporting them through their addiction will only prolong their condition and strengthen their state of denial. You must love them enough to let them face the harsh reality of the world their addiction has created.
Withdrawal Symptoms Assistance
One of the main reasons addicts have a difficult time kicking an addiction is due to the withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms can be so severe and detrimental that addicts can become ill or even die from complications. Many addicts will return to their addiction just to ease the symptoms of withdrawal. There are drugs that can be taken to mitigate withdrawal symptoms.
Methadone is a popular one, but it can become addictive on its own. A recent pharmaceutical development is Non Addictive Opioid Withdrawal Relief that can help mitigate withdrawal symptoms without becoming addictive. This is a revolution in the field of treating addiction.
Rehabilitation Brochures
Drug rehabilitation clinics suffer from social stigmas. Addicts can sometimes feel that if they check into a rehab clinic, it puts a mark of shame on them in the eyes of society. The best way to combat this stigma is to request brochures from rehab clinics that will provide a look into the facility and the treatments they offer. The mental image of the clinic that the addict has is often worse than the reality.
While you are helping your relative through their addiction problem, remember to take care of yourself. Addictions can be a stressful condition for both the addict and the addict’s loved ones.