It’s only been in more recent times that we as a society have understood in a deeper way exactly what addiction is and the impact it has, not just on the individual but the people in their life too. It’s an extremely important subject and one that is understood globally as an area which requires a lot of thought, attention and care.
We live in such a fast-paced world these days and sometimes things get a bit too much. We all know how simple it can be to fall back into bad habits and when things are tough, it’s so easy to run away from our issues and engage in behavior that has a negative effect on our lives and health.
There are all sorts of temptations and ways to fill our time on this earth, and a lot of them are not good. Back in the day people used to berate on others with regards to addiction if they thought they had an issue, but now as we have grown to understand it in more detail, we can now see that people require a level of love and nurturing in order to understand and overcome their addiction.
Let Them Know You Care
Depending on the situation and where your family member is in their journey, just actually being there for them and letting them know you truly care can go a real long way. This person may not be ready to speak about their addiction yet or have come to terms with it, so rather than heap the pressure on them, ensuring they are aware you’re there when the time is right is absolutely crucial.
Seek Help For Them
If their addiction is really bad and they are on a downward spiral, seeking professional help is probably the only real way they are going to get better and overcome their addiction. Yes we can play our part to be there for them, try to talk them through and understand the core of the issue, but we are not professionals. Reaching out to organisations or rehab centres will not just give you that peace of mind you are most likely desperate for, but provide a route out of addiction for your loved one.
These are experienced people who have been down this road before with countless others, and will be able to give you a clear roadmap and plan of how to help. Addiction can be massively difficult and hard to interpret as every case is different, but the advantage you have is they’ve done it before and know how to react in certain situations and handle the reaction your family member might have with being taken for help. A lot of the time, especially initially in these sorts of situations, someone might find it hard admitting they actually have an issue and having professionals from a drug rehabilitation centre will allow a different point of view and maybe some scientific input also. It will take some time but the roadmap they supply along with the emotional support is priceless and should be a serious option for you to explore.
Buy Them Literature
It might be the case that we ourselves are not as clued up as we would like to be on addiction, so investing in some books or literature about this issue for your family member to read in their own time could really help. Difficult things can be hard to hear and realising we have an issue needs to happen on our own a lot of the time. In moments of desperation and wanting to change, having the literature around for that person to pick up and read, understand and digest could put them on the path to recovery a lot quicker than you think. Have a look online, see what you can find and ask around if people in your network have any advice on things to buy for them.
Stop Them Using
Understanding what their actual addiction is will help you nip it in the bud and be more mindful about how, where and why they might be using it. A lot of people drink alcohol when they are feeling down or need an escape from reality for example, so if you can find out when they might revert to their bad habits it might be easier to interject and stop them from doing it. Again, people need to want to help themselves but any help we can provide by starving that addiction will pay dividends in the long run.
Show Them Love
One thing’s for certain is the addiction provides no love to the individual, just pain, confusion and a need to fulfil that addiction. Showing your family member some real love during this process will give them something their addiction does not give them. It may help them see the light, focus on what’s really important and bring some love back into their lives.
Be Patient
People can take real amounts of time to change. First they need to realise the situation with regards to the actual addiction, and there are many steps after this before someone successfully changes their life. Knowing that this will not happen overnight will allow you to immerse yourself in the whole process and not feel helpless that things aren’t moving along as fast as you might like. Good things come to those who wait, as they say, so strap in and go about actioning the steps that you know will help with the long-term goals.
Everyone can agree that family is the most important thing in the world, and being there for someone who has a problem is the role we take up by proxy. As morbid as it may sound, you want this family member to be around for as long as possible and unfortunately some addictions can take lives. So if you have recently realised that a family member of yours has a problem, don’t leave it too long before you take action and start putting them on the road to recovery.