One of the greatest nightmares for any parent or family member is a relation falling into illness or addiction. I say illness and addiction, but addiction is, obviously, a form of illness. It’s important to remember that. When you’re trying to deal with the situation at hand and also spending half your time worrying about what might happen to your loved one, it can seem hard to find a way out.
There’s no use pretending that there’s an easy solution or one good way of dealing with addiction in your family. There isn’t. There are some ways and methods of dealing with the situation that are better than others though. Hopefully, this article might help. But you should get professional help if you’re still worried.
It’s Important to Accept the Facts
It’s not just the addict who has to accept the problem and admit it’s there. Sometimes, family members and friends can be equally willing to believe that things aren’t as bad as they really are. It’s never easy to accept such a grim and upsetting reality, but it is the first step to be taken.
This can also mean accepting that the addiction isn’t your fault. A lot of parents tend to blame themselves, but it’s rarely fair to do so. You must accept that your son, daughter or family member has made their own decisions, and then work towards helping them, going forward.
Learn How to Help and Not Hinder
When you love someone who is suffering from an addiction, it’s important to realise that when you think you’re helping, you might not necessarily be. There is a big difference between helping someone, and enabling their addiction.
This might be difficult to accept, but helping them with money for drugs and other things isn’t helping them. I know logic might tell you that they’ll get the money other ways if you don’t give it to them. But that could be a good thing. You should never make it easy for a loved one to stay an addict.
Try to Understand
Education is a powerful tool. If you learn about what addiction entails and how it all works, you might be able to put yourself in a better position to help them. Understanding what they’re going through will help avoid those frustrations and communication breakdowns. If you understand the biology of addiction, you could even help the addict better understand what’s happening to them.
Encourage Treatment
Getting an addict into treatment as quickly as possible can be the key to stopping the addiction in its tracks. Don’t wait for things to get really bad before you do something about it. There are many different types of rehabilitation, and your relative might have to try more than one before they find what’s right for them. Some people will be able to go cold turkey. Some will need professional medical help. And others might find religious treatments like those offered by WestonRehab.org could be the best fit.
Don’t Give Up
It’s not always easy to carry on going through the darkest moments of addiction. If you need help, don’t be afraid to find it. Talk to a counsellor or even a close friend. Make sure to look after yourself as well as the addicted relative, that way you’ll be able to help them better.
