A person whose friend or relative is a drug addict or alcoholic may not know how to help them. Deciding to get help for the addicted person is not easy. However, an addicted person has a better chance of beating addiction with support from friends. Every situation is different. So, you can help them in many ways, like you can ask detox delray beach fl to help your roommate or friend so they can recover from drug addiction. However, the following general guidelines can help an individual approach this situation.
The Do’s and Don’ts
When trying to help a friend in addiction recovery, you need to do and avoid certain things.
The Dos
- Build trust
- Respect privacy
- Be honest
The Don’ts
- Criticize
- Threaten
- Expect overnight change
- There will Be Difficulties
Many people think they just need to call helpful drug hotline number at Montana to help their roommate or friend overcome drug addiction. This is a phone number that is manned by experienced addiction treatment experts. They provide the information that addicts need to seek treatment or beat addiction. Therefore, some people think that their job will be over once they call this number or convince their addicted friend to make this move. But, that’s not all.
Helping a friend with addiction comes with difficulties due to the following reasons:
- They might not agree that addiction is a problem they need to resolve
- They might not be ready to change
- They might fear consequences like being imprisoned or losing a job
- They might not be ready to talk about their addiction or even feel embarrassed
- They might feel awkward about discussing addiction as they may consider it a personal issue
- They might be engaging in substance abuse as a way to escape dealing with other problems
There’s no easy or faster way to assist a friend with an addiction. Research has shown that denial is common in people with a substance abuse problem. It’s important to know the levels of drunkeness in order to decide whether your friend needs medical attention or just a ride home. There are several levels of intoxication, from mild impairment to severe intoxication, which can cause serious physical and psychological damage. It’s also important to note that with levels of increased alcohol consumption, a person’s behavior can become increasingly unpredictable. When confronted, most addicts will deny their substance abuse problems. Therefore, be ready to face denial and resistance.
It’s worth noting that beating drug addiction requires determination and willpower. Therefore, if a friend doesn’t want to change, persuading them might not work. Nevertheless, several steps can be taken to help a friend change and eventually overcome addiction.
Build Trust
This is not easy for people whose trust may have been betrayed by the addicted persons. Nevertheless, building trust on both sides is very important in the recovery process. It can help a person think about changing how they live. Undermining trust is easy even when a person wants to help a friend overcome addiction. To ensure that trust is not undermined, avoid the following:
Lecturing, criticizing, and nagging the addicted individual
Name-calling, exaggerating, and yelling even when stressed
Participating or engaging in any addictive behavior even when you think you’re exercising moderation.
It’s important to talk to the addicted person but let them decide. For instance, try to convince a friend to call addiction helpline in Montana but don’t do it yourself. Ideally, your goal might be to help your addicted friend. However, they might think that you want to control this. This can prompt them to engage in more addictive behaviors.
The person you support could be using addictive behaviors to partly control stress. So, if you make the atmosphere stressful, your roommate will want to engage in addictive behaviors even more.
Additionally, know that trust-building should be a two-way process. And, you won’t establish trust by being accommodative of the bad behavior. If you don’t feel like you can’t trust your friend, get help first.
In most cases, an addict won’t change until when something prompts them. For instance, the negative consequences of a person’s addictive behaviors can prompt them to change. Therefore, don’t be too protective of the addicted individual. Sometimes, let them suffer consequences of their actions unless they are harmful to others or themselves.
Start by Getting Help
It’s easy to assume that a friend with an addiction that needs to call a drug help hotline in Montana. However, some people need help to assist their friends to overcome drug addiction. Many people have problems occasioned by their loved which can make helping addicts in their lives difficult.
Living with a person that is always abusing addictive substances is stressful. This can make providing the help that a person needs to beat addiction difficult. Therefore, a person that feels stressed should get help to manage it first. This is an important step in the process of helping a friend overcome addiction and rehab recovery. Joining in Alcoholics Anonymous meetings can also be helpful. Check Abbey Care Foundation for more information.
Communicate Honestly
It’s easy to be tempted to talk about the addiction problem with your friend and even encourage them to change. However, research shows that only an addict should make this decision. Honest communication can make a friend open to think about this change. However, you should talk to them without threats.
Understand the Treatment Process
The addiction treatment process varies depending on the condition of your friend and the substance they have been abusing. Calling the addiction hotline free in Montana is only the beginning of a long process.
If involved in the treatment process of a friend:
- Focus on building trust.
- Be honest about how you feel and the things you want to be done.
- Avoid criticizing, blaming, or humiliating your friend during counseling sessions.
- Just say what living with an addicted roommate has been for you.
- Be prepared to hear your roommate say that some of the things you have been doing have contributed to their drug addiction.
If the one you love decides to undergo treatment alone:
- Don’t inform family and others. Instead, respect your friend’s privacy and don’t try to push them to discuss what happened.
- Be patient because change won’t happen overnight.
The Bottom Line
Supporting the one you love in addiction recovery is not easy. Convincing them to call the addiction hotline anonymous in Montana is just the beginning of the recovery process. You also need to establish trust, get help if you need it, and communicate honestly. What’s more, you need to respect the decision by your friend to involve or exclude you in the treatment process. Nevertheless, you should always show support for your friend even if they accuse you of contributing to their addiction.
