Addiction can be difficult to deal with for both the individual and the people around them. If your loved one is addicted to drugs, this can put a significant strain on you and your family life, and you might even feel like giving up on them altogether. However, many people are desperate to help their loved one but simply do not know how. Then, here is what you should do if your loved one has an addiction in 2025.
- Speak to Them
Your first port of call is to speak to your loved one about your concerns rather than enabling them. This is especially the case if they have not yet admitted their addiction and believe that their drug consumption is absolutely fine. Although it can be difficult and distressing for both parties to force them into a conversation, you should try to open the door to a discussion by explaining that you are always there for them and by sharing your concerns. This can be the first step in finding treatment and can allow them to finally admit to their addiction without shame or judgement. When you are speaking to them, you should be a good listener and should make sure that they are in a safe and supportive space.
- Help Them Find Treatment
There are many treatment options out there for addiction, and it is easy for them to feel overwhelmed by these. These can include outpatient treatments as well as residential spaces, such as drug addicts rehab. However, you can be the crutch for them to sort through the options and discuss which is the correct one for them. You might help them perform research into the clinics near you, or you might look into other choices that are open to them. Many people do not seek treatment for addiction because they believe that this is inaccessible to them, and, in the throes of drug addiction, they might struggle to perform this research. However, you should always ask them how you can best places to help them and whether they would like you to do this so that you are not stepping on their toes.
- Support Them
The most important step that you can take, though, is to support them every single step of the way. This could include listening to their troubles, helping them around the house, and providing other forms of practical and pastoral support. You might aim to visit them in rehab if you are able to, or write letters that can help them to feel like they are able to adjust back into life at home when they return.
- Look After Yourself
This should never be at the expense of your own mental health, though. It is vital that you care for yourself in any way that you need to. This could include looking for therapy where you can discuss your own emotions in a safe, unbiased, and judgemental environment, or taking up art therapy. You might also decide to try meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, or journaling, as these can help you to ground yourself and level your moods.
