When a loved one is struggling with addiction, it is natural to want to help. Finding the best way to help is one of the most important parts of the addiction recovery process. Each individual is unique and must be approached in a unique, personalized way. This is at the heart of the Crossroads program: individualizing services and treatment options to best meet the needs of your family.
Families often wait for the individual with substance use problems to reach out first or to “hit rock bottom.” While they are waiting, the addicted loved one may end up taking advantage of the family’s hospitality, while continuing in a life-threatening addiction.
How to Help Someone Struggling with Addiction
It is very important to include family members in the addiction treatment process because families are often the first ones to whom someone with an addiction reaches out when looking for help. Drug addiction and recovery from drug addiction is a long and difficult road for any individual to travel. Without the support of family, friends, and loved ones, individuals struggling with drug addiction may have even greater difficulty completing the recovery process.
While we always recommend seeking assistance from a professional substance use treatment program, here are a few suggestions to assist you in helping your loved one who is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction.
- Listen – one of the most important things you can do to show support is to simply listen. Taking the time to truly listen to your loved one’s problems (whether they have to do with substance use or not) can make a great difference. A major component of listening is to listen with the intent to understand and not with the intent to reply.
- Guide –When you truly listen, you’re able to offer guidance and help when he/she asks for it. Be prepared with resources (like this post) to share with your loved one when he/she is ready.
- Pay attention – if you suspect a family member or friend is struggling with addiction, you’ll want to pay close attention to his/her behavior. Are they exhibiting behaviors that are atypical? Are they struggling to manage their education, job, or other commitments?
- Get professional substance use help – if you suspect that a loved one is struggling with substance use or substance use disorder, know that there is help available. Many times you may want to try to fix the situation yourself, but addiction is an illness that requires professional treatment and care. That’s why Crossroads, a rehab center in Naples, is here to help.
Take Action: Get Substance Abuse Help Now
At Crossroads, we understand the complexity of substance use and the recovery steps associated with it. We provide comprehensive, holistic substance use treatment to help our clients on the path to wellness and life-changing recovery with programs such as inpatient detox, residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and complementary services.
To get help for a family member or loved one or to learn more about the Crossroads substance use recovery programs, call us 24/7 at (239) 354-1428 or through our website here.
