Helping a Loved One With a Drug Addiction
Drug addiction can do nasty things to one’s physical, mental, and social well-being. If someone you love is dealing with drug addiction, you probably have a lot of questions about the addiction itself and what to do about it. Preferred Med Supply wants to help you with some different ways you can help a loved one with a drug addiction.
Get Educated on Addiction
Take the time to get to know the nature and behavior of drug addiction. Addiction is more than just substance abuse of things such as cocaine, marijuana, or alcohol. It is a behavior that can spawn from a number of things such as emotional issues, chemical imbalance, or other disorders that would cause someone to act differently.
People with such behaviors can become addicted to just about anything. This can be sex, exercise, eating, or substances. When someone becomes addicted to something, it can lead to other disorders such as depression, anxiety, OCD, and eating disorders.
Once someone has become addicted to a substance or behavior, the continuing usage is no longer about the “high’, but more about homeostasis. The more a drug is used by someone, the original benefit they received from it begins to fade.
Offer Support But Don’t Enable
It’s important to recognize when someone you love is showing signs of drug addiction. It’s also important to realize what actions you or your family have done that have enabled a loved one to fall into a destructive state.
Enabling can come from a number of things. It can be from simply allowing someone to live in your home to making excuses for the loved one’s behavior.
Denying a loved one basic care or dignity can seem like an immoral act, but it takes a great deal of love to understand that your behavior is enabling someone else to continue their addiction to drugs. These actions are required in order to begin the healing process.
Don’t Finacilly Support This Addiction
When a loved one with a drug addiction asks for money, has to pay bills, or even lives with you rent-free, this can be a way of enabling their addiction.
Your loved one can have many reasons for asking for money and, unfortunately, they’ll most likely use it to continue their addiction.
Help Yourself to Help Them
Drug addictions can have major consequences on families and relationships.
Emotions can run deep when it comes to something as serious as drug addiction. The complicated nature of recovery can require teaching and therapy for everyone involved to understand what is happening.
Don’t Let Their Addiction Ruin You
You can still love the person who has an addiction in your family while also caring for yourself and other family members who may get too caught up in the situation. The best way to do this is by just carrying on with your normal daily activities. This includes working, life interests, and hobbies. It’s important that you still care for yourself.
You can also try getting involved with different support groups and therapy. It always helps to talk to different people who may have had similar experiences with a loved one with drug addiction.
Get The Answers You Need
If you’re trying to help a loved one with drug addiction, having them tested will help you know exactly what you need to do to help. The best way to do this is with an at-home drug test. Preferred Med Supply has drug testing kits, cups, strips, and swabs that will give you the results you’re looking for. Check out our shop page today for a full list of our products.
