If someone around you is drug addicted & you really want to help, this drug addiction treatment guide is for you. When someone is suffering from addiction, what matter what; they may have negative effects on their relationships around them. Not merely with the family, but the drug/alcohol addict may have negative impacts on their relations with friends, cousins & colleagues etc. If we came to know that someone around us is suffering from drug or alcohol addiction, we must help out.
One important thing to mention here is that, as time passes by, the treatment & recovery becomes difficult. So, it is really significant for the closest people around to recognize the symptoms timely. The symptoms may definitely differ depending on the kind of addiction they are suffering through. The drug or alcohol addicted people usually try to hide their addictions from family. But, the closest people like the family members and friends can easily recognize them.
What are the physical & behavioural symptoms of drug/alcohol addicts?
When it comes to the drug or alcohol addicts, they show some sort of physical & behavioural changes in them. There are some common signs you must know to recognize the one suffering from addiction.
Following are a few common physical changes an addicted person may show.
- The person may seem intoxicated more than often
- Problem with memorizing things
- Tiredness without any hectic routine
- Bloodshot eyes all the time
- Rapid fluctuations in body weight
- No more sense towards hygiene
Following are a few common behavioural changes an addicted person may show.
- Having/showing no interest at the workplace
- Lying about the things they use
- Show anger when asked about their addiction
- Frequently changing the group of friends or stay along mostly
- The addicted people usually develop a habit of stealing
- Show other sorts of criminal behaviour as well
- No proper sleeping schedule
- No proper eating habits
- Neglecting family & important responsibilities
How to help the addicted one?
No matter to whom you are trying to help, a family member, friend or someone else, you must keep in mind the following.
Encourage healthy habits
The person suffering from addiction suffers from mental & physical decline as well. Both kinds of physical & behavioural changes are already mentioned above. Depression & anxiety are the most common things an addicted person suffers through. It can even worsen the situation.
In this regard, if you encourage that person to follow a healthy lifestyle, it will be great. Establish for them the structured environment around & support them to eat healthy, exercise & seek proper treatment.
Don’t make them ashamed or guilt
If the addicted person is struggling with his/her situation, they may already feel guilty & ashamed. They may also feel judged by the people around them like friends & family. So, it can lead them towards anger. They are definitely going to act cruelly in response to any judgment or criticism. We must understand that things like criticism can give them stress.
Try to understand that they are already broken & hurt inside & having a sort of war inside them. So, you must avoid all these things. Rather than making them ashamed or guilt, just try to show love & affection.
Compassion can help the most
One of the great barriers why people don’t try to treat themselves from addiction is negative social support. The people always judge & criticize the addicts that lead them towards anger & depression. Consequently, they start feeling alone & end up with more addiction.
Why it is said that compassion can help the most? If all the people around an addict will help, he/she will definitely seek the way to recovery. Try to make that specific person comfortable with you. Give time to discuss things & give support positively. This is the only way they are going to agree for proper treatment.
Don’t enable
Watching your loved one in this situation can be really hard. If the addicted person around you has reached the point where he/she is unable to continue daily life chores, act sensibly. Most of the time, the closest people take on the responsibilities of family, children & give money, which is wrong.
There is a huge difference between supporting that person with love & enabling them. Giving kind support may help but enabling them may have opposite effects. Sometimes, when the addicted person isn’t faced with consequences, he/she doesn’t realize. Make them feel in a positive manner that this is a loss for them & people around them as well. So that they agree to the treatment & recovery.
Stay positive & keep trying
Drug/alcohol or any kind of addiction may destroy the whole families. It may badly affect the concerned person’s present & future too. Most of the time, people lose hope & stop striving. They don’t encourage more & become hopeless.
But, addiction is always treatable. Try your level best & keep trying, even if it takes several years for recovery. The addicted person has always a chance to continue a meaningful life. But, if your hope fades, so does their recovery.
So, take care of the people around you. If you find someone with the symptoms, rush to help them. You can make them live a better, happy & healthy life again.
