Watching a loved one struggle with alcohol or drug addiction is intensely difficult. It is a helpless experience because, as a loved one, it can seem like there’s nothing you can do. If your loved one has a drug addiction, we can help. The right drug addiction treatment program can provide ample support for the entire family, ensuring the best long-term results. Often, there’s more that you can do than you realize.
How to Help a Loved One Get into Treatment
The first step is to get a person into the drug addiction treatment program that is right for them. Multiple situations can occur. If a person is unwilling to attend, they may need more time and information. However, there are ways you can support your loved one now.
Helping your loved one get into treatment can be challenging, so some helpful tips include:
- Let your loved one know you want them to get treatment. It’s not an optional decision, but what you see as necessary.
- Tell your loved one you cannot support their needs any longer until they get help. That includes providing a place to live, money, or interaction with them.
- Be sure to set boundaries on communication and any support you do provide. For example, if they are intoxicated, you won’t help bail them out.
- Explain that you can no longer make excuses for their behavior. That you will tell the truth when they miss appointments, are late for work, or fail to show up for family events.
- Provide concrete examples of what you are seeing, feeling, and experiencing concerning their drug and alcohol use.
- Communicating that you are making changes and then sticking with them ensures the best outcome because it forces them to get help.
How to Help Your Loved One Through Treatment
Once a person has decided to get help through substance abuse treatment programs, the next step for most families is to provide ample support. That means interacting with therapists and learning what you can about addiction and their specific needs. This is often challenging for family members because it may be difficult to let someone else help a loved one.
There are ways you can continue to support your loved one through treatment, including:
- You can attend family therapy sessions. Be there to learn, not to judge. Support the treatment process and the program.
- Participate in their action plans and goals even if you disagree with them.
- Ensure a drug-free home, one where they do not have to be tempted or around substances.
- Encourage them to reach out to mentors and support groups locally when they find themselves at risk for relapsing.
- Listen more than you tell them what to do. One of the most important parts of drug and alcohol addiction recovery is being responsible for yourself and embracing life on your own terms. Let your loved one do so.
If your loved one is using drugs or alcohol now, it is crucial to know the road to recovery is long and filled with a variety of risk factors. You cannot protect them from everything. However, you can provide them with the tools and support they need to properly manage and overcome their disease. Treat this like any other disease, which requires careful following of doctor orders and potential relapse risks.
Find the Support You Need in a Treatment Center Near Home
Don’t put off getting help for your loved one. It’s not often possible for a person to recover fully from drug and alcohol addiction without professional support. That’s why turning to a local treatment center is one of the best decisions for most people. No matter how much you want to help them, they have to decide to embrace help on their own. A treatment center can help make that possible.
