Four Helpful Steps to Lead Your Addicted Loved One to Sobriety

 

By Lizzie Weakley

 

Millions of Americans suffer from an addiction to alcohol, prescription drugs or illegal substances. With that number so high, it is quite likely you may one day find yourself in the position of attempting to help a loved one who is struggling with a substance abuse issue. While you won’t be able to completely solve their problem for them, there are some things you can do to help your loved one begin their journey to recovery.

 
1. Be Emotionally Available

Too many friends and family members turn away from an addicted loved one either because they don’t wish to be around that kind of behavior or because they feel their absence will encourage their loved one to stop their substance abuse. While you will certainly have no wish to do anything to encourage any addiction behavior, your love and support is very much needed. Let them know you still love them no matter what happens and encourage them to get professional help. Your support could make all the difference in the world to a person lost in addiction.

 

 

2. Refuse to Enable

While you don’t want to withhold your affection for the substance abuser, you must not do anything that will enable their behavior. Though it will most likely hurt you to do so, you must always refuse to give money to a substance abuser. Even if your loved one tells you he plans to steal or do something else undesirable to get money for his addiction, you must not give in to the temptation to help them. If you feel you must pay their rent or keep them fed, it is important that you pay their rent directly or buy them food rather than ever hand over a single dime.

 

3. Bring Supporters Together

If your addicted loved one is blessed with extended family and friends, then this is the time to bring them together to help you convince the one addicted that his problem has spiraled out of control. This type of intervention can be informal with just family and friends or you can hire a professional substance abuse counselor for a more formal session. Often, this type of outpouring of love and support from several people can help to open the eyes of the addicted person and encourage him to get the help he needs.

 

4. Rehab or Recovery Program

Once you have helped to show your loved one that it is time to seek professional help for his addiction, you will want to help him find an appropriate program. Usually, a phone call to a rehabilitation or recovery center like Ascend Recovery will get the ball rolling and have your loved one on his way to recovery. He may be considered as an inpatient or an outpatient and will be able to receive help with withdrawal symptoms, specialized counseling, behavioral therapy, and relapse prevention to help pave the way to a completely successful recovery.

 

These few steps could quite literally make the difference between life and death for your loved one. Do what you can and be sure to reach out for help from a professional substance abuse counselor to help ensure a successful recovery for your loved one. You can be assured that once your loved one has beat the addiction, he will be eternally grateful to you for all of your love and hard work.

 

Categories: addicted, helpful steps, loved one, sobriety

Tics and Tells: Four Physical Signs of Addiction

Addiction is an alarmingly common problem, affecting millions of people in the United States. To make matters worse, addiction doesn’t just cause harm to the addicted individuals themselves. Friends and family members also suffer. It could be your teenage son or daughter, your brother or sister, or even a parent who suffers from substance addiction. Nobody wants to watch someone they care for destroy their life and their self. If you suspect that someone you love has a problem with addiction and you want to help, here are four physical signs to look for:

 

Significant Weight Loss

Substance abuse often results in a diminished appetite, which can trigger dramatic weight loss over a short period of time. People with severe addictions may rapidly lose muscle mass and body fat, causing them to appear as though they’re wasting away. In extreme cases, they may develop a bony or skeletal appearance.

 

Scabs and Scars

Several commonly abused substances will cause crawling burning feelings in the skin or excessive itching upon withdrawal, which may cause the addicted person to scratch and pick at themselves until wounds develop. These injuries are typically located on the face and arms but may also be on hidden areas of the body. Restlessness due to over-stimulation may also trigger this behavior.

 

Another physical sign to look for is needle tracks, which appear as elongated, reddened marks on the inner forearm or other common injection sites. These occur from repeated use of injected substances and are the result of venous collapse, which renders those veins useless for injection. Eventually, this can drive addicts to inject in increasingly bizarre areas, like between the toes and in the neck. In some cases, these injuries may become infected, requiring immediate medical attention.

 

Withdrawal Symptoms

One of the most noticeable indicators of drug addiction is the presence of withdrawal symptoms. These are often obvious, even when no other signs are present. Someone who is addicted to a substance will be unable to go for long periods without another fix. When they don’t get another dose, any number of behavioral or mood changes will occur. The person may suffer from unexplained panic attacks or anxiety, which may make them try to avoid all interaction. They may also become uncharacteristically irritable or hostile, sometimes to the point of losing their temper or getting into legal trouble. In addition, you may notice profuse sweating, tremors, vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, depression, and sometimes seizures.

 

Haggard Appearance

An individual with a severe addictions may exhibit a worsening of their appearance over time. Substance abuse is very harsh on the body and addicts are often lacking in healthy lifestyle habits. Someone with a drug problem may appear haggard and worn, often looking significantly older than they are.

 

Addiction is a difficult hurdle to overcome, but with your help and support, there is hope for your loved one. Sit down and have a talk with them, then suggest some reputable drug rehabs they could to to for professional treatment. Rehabilitation is made much easier when the addicted individual has the support of loved ones to bolster them through recovery.

Categories: addicted, addiction, nbsp, physical, physical signs, severe addictions, signs, substance, substance abuse, tells, tics, Weight Loss, withdrawal symptoms