Addiction is anything but a rare condition. According to various surveys, it’s estimated that one in three people has an addiction to something. Of course, addiction becomes much more worrying when it is something that is significantly detrimental to someone’s physical or mental health and when it begins to impede on their day-to-day routine.
If you are worried that someone in your life has an addiction to something, rest assured there is plenty of help and support out there for you and for them – from charities to support groups to helplines. You may be wondering how you get your loved ones to seek the treatment that they need. Here are a couple of suggestions that can help you along the way!
Offer Support
Sometimes people want to give up their addictions but feel that they are not strong enough and that they are simply unable to resist their urges. It’s a good idea to make sure that the addict in your life knows that they are supported and that you are always there for them if they need it.
This doesn’t mean supporting what they want all the time – for example, you shouldn’t show support by providing drugs or alcohol when they want them. Instead, it should be clear that you are ready and willing to help with any positive action. You can tell them this outright. You can let them know by simply being there when times are hard. Offer to talk to them about what they’re going through. Offer well-researched advice. Perhaps most importantly, show them that you are not being judgmental.
It may take some time for this approach to see a significant change in their behavior, but at least you know that they will turn to you when they feel ready to make a positive change in their life.
Intervention
Of course, one of the final resorts that you can take if you notice that a loved one is suffering from addiction of any kind is to stage some sort of intervention. This doesn’t have to be the dramatic type that is shown on TV shows and in cinema. Instead, you need to consider the individual you’re confronting, how they respond to different things, and determine what approach is best to take to get through to them.
Interventions, especially those which provide some sort of ultimatum, do tend to be many people’s best bet at getting through to loved ones and getting the message across that we are concerned for them and want them to change their actions. Intervention can prove to be a hugely pivotal point in an addict’s life.
If you’re unsure how to go about this, there are professionals out there called interventionists who can help to plan and deliver the perfect formula for intervention success.
Of course, these are just two approaches. Hopefully, they’ll help you to help your loved one in a significant way, encouraging them to get the treatment and help that they need to lead a healthy and happy life.