Getting drug addiction help will involve contacting either professional services of some sort or a 12 step treatment program. This is the program that is most popular and therefore easily located when it comes to beating an addiction. These services might include things such as in-patient treatment centers, detox wards, or even therapy or counseling. In addition to rehab, an addict could also seek help from meetings, therapy groups, or from professional counseling.
Many people might use these types of services after they leave treatment as a form of aftercare.
It can be quite a struggle to get someone else to take action and do something about their problem and ultimately you will find that we cannot really change anyone, only ourselves. But we can influence their behavior and their decisions over the long run by becoming more conscious of how we interact with them.
In particular, we need to stop enabling people if we play some role in their drug or alcohol use. This includes helping them out when they get into trouble or calling in sick for them if they miss work due to their drug use. We can make a big difference in the addict’s life by choosing not to enable their drinking or using.
Unfortunately this is what some addicts need in order to start considering the possibility of change. If a drug addict doesn’t endure heavy consequences then they probably won’t be motivated to make a change. So we eventually realize in dealing with an addict that it is best not to deny them of their pain. This does not mean that we need to go out of our way to trip them up or be mean to them – instead we just have to get out of their way and let them endure the natural consequences of their actions.
Giving genuine help to an addict is sometimes difficult because many times when we think we are helping them we are actually enabling them. The bottom line is that you should never help an addict who is trying to set their own terms – when they are ready for real change they will be willing to accept the help on your terms instead. We can still make a difference in the life of an addict but usually it is not a direct difference. Instead we must change our own behavior so as not to deny them of their pain or consequences in their life.
Tags: addiction, addiction recovery, Drug Abuse, drug addiction, recovery
