Assisting Your Loved One with Addiction
It is difficult to observe your loved one living with addiction. It is a very difficult situation because you see your loved one spiraling and the feelings of helplessness you get from not knowing what you do can be crippling. There are some of us who think it is their flaw their friends and family are experiencing what they are experiencing; however this isn’t valid. This is why you should know how to help your loved one who suffers from addiction no matter the cost. It is imperative to know precisely what addiction they have, and this must be done through research. It is essential to realize everything you can about it so that you are better prepared to deal with the circumstance they are in since there are numerous kinds of addiction. The cost of helping your loved one is high as you should try to maintain your boundaries. Addicts are known to be master manipulators, and you should try hard to ensure you don’t fall for the schemes. Manipulation is their way of getting what they want. Boundaries will ensure that they recognize you won’t fall for it.
Remember to take care of yourself. The cost of dealing with your loved one could be neglecting to care for yourself, and this ought not to be the situation. You should take care of yourself before you consider taking care of someone else. There is quite often some psychological instability like anxiety that is associated with addiction. You must see whether they are experiencing one of them. The condition may even be the cause of the addiction, and you could kill two birds with one stone when you identify this condition. Therefore, if they have these mental conditions, try to get them to therapy no matter the cost. Most people think that shaming an addict will make them stop using. This is contrary to the popular belief that shaming an addict will cause them to change their ways. If your point is getting them to change, utilize positive things to accomplish that.
It is already established that positive feelings can help stop addiction; therefore, encouragement from people around them could also play a big part. The encouragement could be done through rewards or oral communication. The prizes could be for transient changes and long term changes. Ensure that you communicate with your loved one so that they do not feel alone. Most addicts are said to feel very lonely, and these feelings add to their dependency on substances. Show them love and attention, and this will surely help them in their journey. You should also seriously consider rehab if your loved one is an addict. The rehabilitation focuses have all the fundamental things and experts that will enable your loved one to recoup to their old self. Things like the cost of rehab shouldn’t deter you from trying to help your friend.