There are many different ways to approach the subject of substance addiction, the most common of which is disdain and much dislike. Obviously, it is never good to become addicted to any type of substance, be it legal or illegal. There are two aspects to this situation, one of which is they addict’s position. This person may be in dire need of assistance to get away from whatever addiction he holds, or he may be in the deep thresholds of it currently, and have no desire to get away.
Then, there are those close friends and family of the addict. These people are close enough to not only see the effects of the drug on the addict, but also feel them in some way or another. Maybe they are the children of the addict, and are lacking in the things they need in life. That’s what substance addiction does, it takes a person who is otherwise responsible and just the average person, and turns them into something they never thought they could become.
If you are a person who is trying to deal with substance addiction, it is very important that you get help. Depending on what substance you are addicted to, it is extremely possible that you will not be able to battle it on your own. Substance addiction is much more strong that non-addicts realize. Sometimes the abuser will have an extreme desire to want to quit, but for many reasons they may not ask for help. These reasons could include such things as hurting their pride, by having to realize and admit that they need help, or possibly the fear of failure. But, the absolute most important thing to do is to try to battle it, and the majority of the time if you are to be successful, you are going to have to seek out help.
Another very important thing to know is that, when you have become addicted to any type of substance, it is likely that you have surrounded yourself with other abusers (this may have been intentional or inadvertent, but either way it is very likely the case), and this will have to change. If you are ever to be able to withstand the addiction, and continue to stay clean, you cannot just stop doing it and continue on with normal life. You must change your entire lifestyle. This often means ditching those friends you would normally do these drugs with, moving, or some other way of starting over. It is this very reason that live-in rehabs (rehabilitation centers) exist-most people have to completely get away from their life for a little while, even if only for a few months. This can make all the difference in an addict’s rehabilitation process. Another very important factor is that the addicted person surround himself with as many supportive people as possible. This cannot be supportive people who are still doing the drugs, and this cannot be supportive people who look down on what you have done. If you are always worried about what your support system is thinking of you, and likely being right when you feel they are thinking badly of you, then it is extremely hard, if not impossible, to confide in them. You will have bad days, you will have horrible days, you will have hellish days. If you can’t confide that to someone, how will you ever make it through them? Then, once you make it through those days, they will get better. And, eventually you will have good days, and even excellent days again, but this time you will be sober. And it’s a whole lot easier to reach these days if you have the proper support system.
If you are the family member or close friend of a person who is battling with substance addiction, it can sometimes seem overwhelming. There are so many heartbreaks along the road to recovery for this person, and for anyone who cares for them. First, you must know that if an addict is not really ready to quit, it will not matter what you say or do to try to persuade them, it will not work. You must also know, and keep in mind, that just because someone has gotten back into the drugs does not mean that they haven’t tried, or that they will not be able to eventually succeed. All it means is that it is an extremely hard road that your loved one is going down, and there are, and always will be, potholes along the way. Anyone who has been a substance addict, a true addict, not someone who just tried drugs or had wild days in college, will fight it for the rest of their lives. Many people unfortunately do not realize this. Just because they managed to overcome it and cut it out of their life completely doesn’t mean that it will never be an issue again. This is a hard concept for anyone who has never been addicted, and an even harder concept for someone who has managed to do drugs and put them down to never return again. Not everyone has the capability of doing this, and that doesn’t imply anything bad, it only implies that different people have different ways of dealing with their situations.
The more you know and learn about substance addiction, the easier it will be for you to help your loved one. You cannot offer them the best assistance on something you know very little, or nothing, about. It’s just not practical. Do your resarch. You can go to many different websites for more information, including Alcohol and Drug Treatment Referrals. This website offers much information about addictions, and includes a survey to help determine an addict’s recommended treatment plan.
