Helping a loved one through the disease of addiction and its subsequent recovery is not easy. The disease of addiction affects the entire family and social circle of the addict. A big part of helping your loved one with his or her addiction is educating yourself about the disease. There are many services available to family members of addicts. Recovering from addiction is a recovery for the whole family and you can begin your recovery even if your loved one has not agreed to accept help yet. By helping to educate yourself you will develop the strength and knowledge necessary to help your loved one. Research shows that families who participate in the recovery of their loved one greatly increase the chances of their continued recovery from addiction.
On way to help your loved one in a time of addiction is to contact a certified interventionist. An interventionist will act as a liaison between your family and the addict. The interventionist can set up a specific treatment plan and create a time when your family can meet with your loved one and present the plan.
Short of hiring an interventionist you can develop a treatment plan for your loved one yourself. You will probably need help in this and that is where we come in. We can connect you with drug rehab and aftercare programs in your area. Just give us a call and we will work with you to find a solution that works.
By finding a certified interventionist or counselor to help you eases your burden when attempting the difficult task of helping your loved one. Some things that an interventionist or counselor may help you to understand are the signs and symptoms of alcohol or drug abuse. They will also teach you about the disease of addiction and how you can help yourself through the recovery process. They will help you with communication skills for your family. They will teach you coping methods so you can keep your head while dealing with the insanity of addiction. You will learn how to deal with crisis situations such as suicide attempts or threats, violence in your family or other threatening situations. In addition you will learn how to properly plan and suggest treatment to the addict and how to follow through with the process.
The best way to help your loved one is education. Find a counselor and get educated so that you can help effectively. We can help you do this, just call
What if Your Loved One Does Not Want Help?
One of the most difficult problems that the family has to deal with in addiction is watching their loved one destroy themselves with drugs and alcohol and being powerless to stop them. Unfortunately this situation is the norm. In most cases an addict is the last one to admit that he or she needs help. The power of drugs or alcohol over their mind and body is stronger than their will to help themselves. They have told you many times that they don’t have a problem. The addict has said he or she will “cut down”. They may have been in treatment many times before with no results. It can be very difficult to speak with a loved one about their problem. They can be combative, abusive, argumentative and manipulative. All of this leads to a lot of pain and struggle for you and your family. So why not just kick them out on the street, cut off communication or help? That’s much easier said than done when you are talking about someone who you may love even more than yourself. However there are some things you can do. One step that you may not have tried is an intervention.
Interventions are professionally designed and handled by experts in substance abuse and families. A good interventionist will speak with all of the family members over time, educate them on the problems of the addict and help develop a treatment plan for him or her. Over time the interventionist will come up with a plan from start to finish to help the addict. Then the family and the interventionist will set up a surprise meeting with the individual who needs the help. These meetings are often emotional
Trying to help a loved one who does not wish to be helped is nearly impossible. You can lead a horse to water but you can not make him drink. You have heard this phrase before and it applies very well to the addict who does not want help, though he has a family and friends network who is willing to do whatever they can to get him help.
Another good strategy is to educate yourself on addiction. The disease of addiction affects the entire family so you may as well start getting treatment yourself. Studies show that the family who participates in recovery with the addict increases the chances of recovery. You may call us and we can help you find an interventionist or counseling group in your area.
