Here are some do's and don'ts to help a loved one. The challenge of addiction is that the addict is not the only one affected by this disease. Family and friends may struggle with the addict's behavior, financial problems, legal problems, and the daily struggle to provide for a loved one. Here are seven tips that family and friends can consult to support an addicted family member or friend.
The best ways to help a person who is addicted to drugs or alcohol may seem contradictory, especially for people who struggle with codependent relationships. For example, Mayo Clinic offers a variety of addiction services and has a comprehensive team approach to treating addiction. An intervention can motivate someone to seek help for alcohol or drug misuse, compulsive eating, or other addictive behaviors. Step-by-step guides to finding treatment for drug use disorders (PDF): Guides for adults, teens, or people helping someone who is addicted to drugs.
This page will discuss the symptoms of drug or alcohol abuse, how codependency affects these relationships, and where to find addiction help for your loved one. Regardless of how or why an addiction begins, nurses in medical-surgical settings often find themselves caring for patients who have an addiction and concomitant medical or psychiatric problems. When you learn to help an alcoholic family member or loved one with any other type of addiction, being compassionate is also a great way to help build trust, which is crucial for a successful and lasting recovery. When nurses care for addicted people with care and compassion, they help these clients live as healthy a life as possible, given their circumstances and the life choices they have made.
When a person with an addiction is unwilling to seek treatment, they will resort to whatever it takes to continue to feed their addiction. Understanding how addiction is a progressive brain disease, rather than a moral choice or defect, can help you overcome your own pain. Treating yourself to self-care isn't selfish, especially when helping someone deal with an addiction. People with addiction tend to be more committed to the immune system and have a poorer nutritional and hydrating state than people without addiction.
However, establishing trust is an important first step in helping a person with addiction think about change. To be clear, it's not always an easy decision to help with substance use or another type of addiction. Teaching basic phlebotomy skills can help people with addiction because they may not know a simple anatomy, such as the difference between veins and arteries, and what to do if an artery is accessed with a needle. Some couples go to treatment together, and it's possible to find rehabilitation centers that admit both of them at the same time to get help for addictions.