If you’ve been dealing with someone who suffers from an addiction, then you know how all-encompassing their behavior can be. That’s why you have to step in and take action. It’s not just one person being affected – it’s a whole group of people. Here are a few practical ways you can be supportive.
1. Educate Yourself
Most of us are wholly uneducated when it comes to addiction. This isn’t anything to feel embarrassed about, but simply means you haven’t had much experience with the issue in your own life. Well, before you confront and offer your support to a loved one, it’s important that you educate yourself and learn everything you can about the science behind addiction. The biggest thing you need to understand is that addiction isn’t voluntary. Sure, people make stupid mistakes that put themselves in compromising situations, but addiction physically reconstructs the brain and hardwires individuals to behave in certain ways. Once you truly understand this, you’ll begin to see your loved one differently.
2. Offer Genuine Support
There are two types of support: compulsory support and genuine support. Compulsory support is the type of support that people offer when they feel like they have to say or do something. For example, if you catch your friend in the act of using drugs, then you feel like you have to say something to them. Genuine support, on the other hand, is the type of support that comes from the heart. Genuine support is the overflow of your own personal convictions and your love for the affected individual. While it may not seem much different from your perspective, addicts can feel the difference between compulsory and genuine support – and are much likelier to respond to the latter.
3. Be Consistent (But Not Overbearing)
You can’t expect an addict to drop what they’re doing and commit to sobriety after one conversation. If you’ve done a good job of educating yourself on the science of addiction, you know this is true. With that being said, the key to supporting a loved one in their bout with addiction is to be consistent without being overbearing. This means regularly having conversations with them while knowing when to back away and give them space.
4. Support the Recovery Process
After getting a loved one to attend a recovery program, it can feel like your job is finished. Unfortunately, it’s not. Recovery is an ongoing process and you must stand with them every step of the way.
Addiction is Hard on Everyone
While it’s easy to abandon and remove yourself from the situation, remember that addiction is a very real disease and must be treated as such. You owe it to your loved one to support them through their addiction. Featured photo credit: Lifehack.org via media.lifehack.org
