When an adult friend or family member has a problem with drugs or alcohol abuse, you may not know how to help them. That’s because most adults believe that they can decide when to stop using a drug or drinking alcohol. But, this is not always the case. In some cases, a friend or family member may have developed an addiction to drugs or alcohol but they don’t think so. That’s when the intervention of a sober friend or family member can make a crucial difference in their life.
Ascertain that a Person Has a Substance Use Problem?
A question you’re likely to ask before you approach the person is, how do I tell that my friend or a family member needs free drug treatment program? This service is offered to people that can’t afford treatment for addiction at luxury facilities. Several treatment facilities offer free programs for persons that need help with addiction. If your friend has financial problems, that could be causing their addiction problem, this might be the best option for them.
Nevertheless, you should be sure that you’re not overreacting to their substance use habits. For instance, find out if they are having problems at work, home, or other social places. Is your friend or family member having problems with finances, employer, spouse, or friends? Are they facing legal, self-respect, or self-esteem issues?
When a friend or family member continues to abuse drugs or alcohol even when the problems arising as a result of their habit are clear, they need your help. It means that drinking or abusing drugs has taken over control of their life. Thus, they need professional assistance to overcome the problem.
Understand Addiction and the Importance of Early Intervention
Research shows that addiction is a chronic and relapsing disorder. What makes it hard to beat or overcome is the fact that most addictive substances alter how the brain functions. When you see addiction that way, you won’t blame your friend or family member when they are unable to stop using the addictive substance even it’s causing problems in their life. Instead, you will stage an intervention early to ensure that your friend or family member doesn’t hit rock bottom.
Staging an intervention early or confronting a friend or family member will prevent serious problems like dropping out of school or suffering a traumatic event to seek assistance. You can seek help from free rehab centers or talk to people that your friend or family member respects and trusts.
Nevertheless, act early because your friend or family member is likely to recover when an intervention is staged early. What’s more, treating a substance use disorder early makes the experience less disruptive and intense. It also lowers the anxiety associated with it.
Help Your Loved One Understand that They Have a Problem
It’s easy to give up after expressing concerns about substance use by a loved one without seeing changes. Some people even resort to issuing threats, lectures, ignoring their behavior, imposing consequences, giving a second chance, and accepting empty promises.
Some people even engage in enabling behavior. For instance, a person can bail out a loved one when entangled in legal problems. They can also cover for a friend at work when they fail to execute their responsibility because they were too drunk or nursing a hangover.
To avoid this, help your loved one see their substance abuse problem and how it’s affecting their life. Additionally, don’t enable their addiction in any way. Nevertheless, make sure that you talk to your friend or family member about the problem at the right time.
For instance, don’t talk to them when under the influence of alcohol or drug. Instead, talk to them when sober and at the right place. And, don’t always be the person that the person with an alcohol or drug addiction reaches out because they know you can cover up for them or help them out.
Help Your Friend or Family Member if They Need Treatment
If after talking to your friend or family member agrees to undergo treatment, help them get it. Several facilities offer free drug addiction treatment. Others are luxury facilities that some people with financial capability may prefer. Therefore, talk to your loved one about the available options.
Depending on the severity of their addiction and the substance they abuse, an inpatient or outpatient facility may be ideal for them. The most important thing is to choose a facility that addresses the psychological, physical, social, and emotional aspects of a person’s addiction.
In most cases, addiction treatment starts with screening. This is followed by detoxification that cleanses the body of the addictive substances. After this, different therapies and counseling may follow. However, the addiction treatment procedure can vary depending on the need of a person and the treatment facility. Work closely with your loved one to help them choose the right luxury or free drug rehabilitation center for them.
Know When to Get Emergency Help for Your Friend or Family Member
You should call the emergency helpline if your friend or family member exhibits the following symptoms:
- Has taken drugs and lost consciousness
- Has drunk alcohol and become unconscious
- Experiences a seizure
- Is contemplating suicide after drinking or using a drug
- Has been drinking heavily and is showing withdrawal symptoms like severe trembling, delirium tremens, and confusion.
Formal treatment for drug addiction and alcoholism can take different forms. And, no single treatment is the best for everybody with a substance abuse problem. As such, the facility you choose can come up with a personalized, free drug treatment program for your loved one. The approach the facility will take to develop the program will depend on several factors. These include the substance they have been abusing, addiction level, and SUD history.
The Bottom Line
Anybody can develop an addiction. However, dealing with addiction requires professional help and support from loved ones. Follow this guide if you want to help an adult friend or family member with an alcohol or drug addiction problem.
