When someone you love has a drug abuse or addiction problem
You may not immediately realize that someone you love has a drug problem. It may have started slowly, and your loved one might also have tried to hide the extent of the drug use from you. You might have gotten so used to the drug abuse that coping with it seems almost normal. Or the realization that there is something seriously wrong is almost too painful to admit. Don’t be ashamed, and you are not alone. Drug abuse affects millions of families, from every socioeconomic status, race and culture. There is help and support available.
Understanding what is involved in recovery
- You cannot force someone you love to stop abusing drugs. As much as you may want to, and as hard as it is seeing the effects of drug abuse, you cannot make someone stop using. The final choice is up to them. The right support can help you make positive choices for yourself, and balance encouraging your loved one to get help without losing yourself in the process.
- Don’t expect your loved one to be able to quit without support. Withdrawal symptoms can be unpleasant, painful, and even deadly. While medical input is always a good idea, if your loved one is addicted to benzodiazepines or is a heavy drinker, withdrawal can be dangerous and should be done under medical supervision.
- Recovery will be an ongoing process. Someone who abused drugs will not suddenly be a cured person once sober. Drug use may have been masking painful feelings that will bubble up to the surface. Many in recovery experience depressed moods for up to a year or more as their brain reestablishes from the drug abuse. Learning new coping skills to resist cravings, and how to apply them in stressful situations, is an ongoing process. Ongoing support is crucial to work through those issues.
Getting started
Realizing that you have a problem and that you need help is a tremendous first step. The following resources are a good place to start:
- Peer support (AA, NA). A good place to reach out for support is a peer support group like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA). These peer support groups provide a place to share struggles with addiction and what others have done to stay sober. More information about these groups is below.
- Therapy. If you are seeing a therapist, share your intentions with him or her. A therapist can be a good resource and support for addiction treatment.
- Medical professional. Some drugs create withdrawal symptoms that require medical intervention. There are also medications that may help make withdrawal symptoms more comfortable. Your primary care doctor can be a good starting reference, and you may want to consider working with an addiction medicine specialist.
The following are good resources/organizations where help can be found on the road from addiction to recovery:
- LDS Addiction Recovery http://www.ldsar.org/
- Provident Living Addiction Recovery Program http://www.providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,6629-1-3414-1,00.html
- The Addiction Recovery Guide http://www.addictionrecoveryguide.org/
- Drug and Alcohol Detoxification http://www.addictionsearch.com/treatment_articles/article/drug-and-alcohol-detoxification_9.html
- Substance Abuse Facility Locator http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/
