Your friend, sibling, parent, or child is struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. You want to do whatever you can to save their life. It’s hard to do when they do not see the problem or believe they need help. Helping an addict is possible, but you have to learn how to do so in a way that is safe for you and your family. Our team at Crestview Recovery can provide you with the resources and support you need to achieve your best outcome.
Helping an Addict Starts with Understanding Addiction
One of the first and primary steps that you can take is to provide your loved one with a listening ear. Understanding addiction is like taking the time to learn about a new diagnosis of cancer or diabetes. You need to learn what the risks are, why it happens, and what can be done about it.
One of the hardest parts of helping an addict is coming to the realization that they cannot stop using on their own. This is a big component of addiction. There is no way for them to simply stop using drugs or alcohol without professional help if they have a moderate to severe form of addiction. No begging or pleading will work. Willpower alone is not enough.
Find Treatment That Works
Professional drug and alcohol treatment is, at the heart of the process, the best way for your loved ones to recover. Helping an addict can happen when you learn about the available treatment programs for them. You can confirm insurance coverage. You can make sure the program is willing to take your loved one into their treatment plan. You can do a lot of the leg work in getting your loved one into treatment. You cannot force them there, though.
How Can You Get Them Into Help Then?
There are steps you can take to control the situation and to better enable your loved one to get help. For example, now that you know there is drug and alcohol individual therapy available, tell your loved one about it. Ask them to go to a consultation. Get them to see this is the only way forward. Then, take steps to limit their decision-making process.
- Don’t give them access to you or your family when they are using.
- Eliminate any financial support you provide to them that enables their use.
- Don’t make excuses for them to friends and family.
- Tell them exactly what their addiction is doing to you, specifically.
- Make it clear you will help them when they enter into treatment for addiction.
When you create a space like this, you may find it very hard, if not impossible, for a person to continue on with their addiction. They have to think about it, and they have to decide what steps to take to make changes.
Our Team Can Provide You with the Tools You Need
Helping an addict is not an easy process, but it can be done when you have the right type and amount of support surrounding you. At Crestview Recovery, we will work with you to provide your loved one with a clear path to getting help. No matter where they are right now, there are tools and resources available to help them. That includes programs such as:
- Men’s drug rehab
- Women’s drug rehab
- Outpatient treatment programs
- Intensive outpatient program
- Partial hospitalization program
Empower Your Loved Ones with Help from Crestview Recovery
Helping an addict is possible, though you cannot do it all for them. We encourage you to call Crestview Recovery to learn more about the types of therapy we offer and to find out how we can help your loved one. Then, encourage them to call our compassionate counselors to learn more and to get help. Call our recovery center at 866.262.0531 now.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.
