Friends and Family Treatment

A strong support network is essential to help someone overcome addiction. But who looks after the people providing the support?

Often, family and friends are the people who help an addict the most. This unconditional love is beautiful and extremely helpful for someone who has an addiction, but there comes a point where everything takes its toll.

It is normal to feel frustrated, upset and useless when trying to help someone who has an addiction. Addiction affects more than just the addict – it affects everyone around them, and the reality is families and friends bear the brunt.

If communication has broken down between you, and you find yourself at a loose end, do not give up hope just yet. You can become actively involved in your loved one’s recovery. It all starts with helping them get the help they need.

Here are several ways to do that:

• Encourage your loved one to get help – help them identify that their behaviour isn’t normal, and that they’ll need support to resolve it.
• Become educated about addiction and the psychology of addiction – addiction is a disease that is complex but well-researched. There are plenty of medical journals you can refer to and excellent guides available online.
• Address your own habits and behaviours that could be fuelling your loved one’s addiction – it is common for family and friends to have some influence on their loved one’s habit. It is important to recognise your bad habits and resolve them.

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Am I Overreacting to Addiction?

If someone you love has an addiction, you are in no way overreacting by wanting them to get help. You are well within your rights to be frustrated and upset, but it’s also important to understand that your loved one is vulnerable at this moment. They need compassion and understanding, not someone to shout at them.

Delving into the issues of addiction can be painful. However, you need to get on with it if you want your loved one to overcome their addiction. Time is of the essence, because the longer you wait, the worse an addiction becomes.

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What If I Can’t Get the Person Onside?

Denial and distrust are symptomatic of addiction. When someone is addicted to drugs, they always take the side of the substance. It is normal for someone to reject help and advice when they are addicted to something. It can take time to get through to them, but it is always worth being persistent in the end.

If you can’t get through to the person, you could try:

• Holding a family meeting – to bring everyone together and put the person on the spot. This won’t be easy for you or them, but it may be necessary.
• Set up a meeting with a clinic – if you can get your loved one to agree that they have a problem, you can kickstart the recovery process by making an appointment with one of our rehab clinics. We cover the whole of the UK.

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Treatment for Addiction

Recovery from addiction is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes weeks to overcome the physical aspect of addiction, and it can take years for the urge to disappear.

The treatment aspect of addiction comes by way of a medically-managed detox to address the physical side of the addiction. This is rehab in its most basic form – abstinence with the help of withdrawal medication to stay clean or sober.

If mental health issues are present, or the addiction is to hard drugs like opiates or amphetamines, therapy will probably also be needed to address the psychological side of addiction. This will be included as part of the programme.

It’s important to remember that immediate abstinence without medical intervention is dangerous. Addiction is a physical disease and the withdrawal symptoms from abstinence (as with a detox) need to be managed with medication.

The good news is that with the right treatment, anyone can overcome addiction no matter who they are or their personal circumstances.

If someone you love needs help for addiction, speak with us for advice. We’re happy to provide free advice. Call us on 0333 444 3420 today.