How To Help A Friend Overcome Drug Addiction: A Helpful Guide

Drug addiction is one of the most difficult struggles that an individual will go through. If you have a friend that is confident enough in your relationship to come out about it to you, that speaks volumes to their level of trust. You will want to reciprocate that but perhaps be unsure of how to do so. Here is how to help a friend overcome drug addiction.

Ask How Your Friend Is Feeling

One of the first things that you want to consider when you are trying to help a friend overcome drug addiction is to start by simply talking to them. However, there are different ways to approach your friend to ensure that you are not coming off too strongly.

If you open up your conversation and try addressing the problem right away, this can feel overwhelming and cause your friend to close off and scare them off. If you ask your friend how they are doing and feeling, checking on them personally and emotionally, they will be more likely to open up.

Addiction often has other mental stresses, pains, and illnesses linked to it, such as depression and anxiety. You need to take your time, be understanding, and always listen to what your friend has to say, as well as being present to talk if they need to. Admitting and talking about addiction can be scary as the one going through it and having someone to listen to can make a significant difference.

Facilities And Options For Treatment

When an addict comes around to a place where they feel comfortable to admit and speak about their problem, you not only want to be around to listen, but you also want to be able to redirect them to the right resources and options they have to seek out more information and treatment.

Those knowledgeable at greenbranchnj.com understand that as a friend, you won’t always have the right answers or know and understand the best approach. This is where resources become a useful tool to continue to assist in the recovery journey. Having this information readily available is useful in these small windows where clarity is reached and addicts want to take initiative in their healing.

Patience Is Key

It takes a long time for users and addicts to be able to admit that they have a problem when it comes to drugs or substance abuse. Even after they admit their problems, it can be a while before they seek out the treatment they need until they can live that drug-free life.

You want to have patience with your friend, understanding that they will make mistakes and sometimes mess up. You want to give them the time to come to terms with their problem, but also have the patience and understanding without judgment to help them find help.

Part of the process of recovery includes lapses or relapse, as this is common throughout the struggle of trying to stay sober. It is not an excuse to make mistakes, but you have to understand that this often happens.

Don’t Pressure Or Nag Them

With any sort of problem or addiction, whether it is hard drugs or even addictions that include smoking or anything else that is deemed problematic, you don’t want to nag your friends to find help or treatment. At the end of the day, your friends have to come to the realization themselves.

You can share how you are negatively impacted by their addictions, but nagging them constantly to change their ways will not do anything to change their mindset. Your friends have to choose to change themselves, as even if you are constantly nagging, any attempts at rehabilitation will simply result in failure. They want to change from within, as the process is difficult and that inner desire will help them persevere through the challenges they will ultimately face.

Remove Temptation

When you are friends with someone that has a drug addiction and is trying to change their lives and rehabilitate themselves, if you want to be a good friend, you want to remove that temptation in their lives. You do not want to encourage your friend with drugs whenever you are around them or having them over, for parties, or simply just spending time together.

Additionally, you also want to remove triggers and temptation of drugs through your stories and talking about it. As a friend, you need to be understanding of what they are going through, and if their recovery negatively affects your own lifestyle, it is best to separate yourself for the time being while they struggle and seek help.

If your friend is struggling with drug addiction, you want to ensure that you approach the problem properly. It is a long and strenuous cycle to have to deal with, and doing so will require a great deal of understanding and patience on your end. Be considerate of what they are going through and by doing so, you will be able to help them better.