How To Help Your Loved One Get Drug Addiction Treatment

It’s a fine line when you’re trying to help someone you love who is addicted to drugs and/ or alcohol. Too much help can be termed “codependent,” essentially making their addiction possible by providing them with a place to stay, money to feed their habit and helping them to lie and cover up addictive behavior in front of others. Too little help and your friend or family member may not realize that there is a way out of addiction through detox and treatment.

Offer Medical Help Instead of Financial Support

One way to help your loved one not only realize that there help is available but also recognize that they have a problem that is affecting their life and the lives of those around them is to organize a drug addiction intervention. A staged meeting that includes close family, friends and community leaders like clergy who are close to the person suffering from addiction is most common. A neutral mediator is often invited to help everyone maintain focus and keep things short and specific.

The Goal of a Drug Addiction Intervention

The point is of an intervention is two-fold. The first goal is to give concrete examples of events that illustrate how the addict is hurting herself and others. This is usually done first to help the person being confronted understand the depth and severity of the situation.

The second goal of an drug addiction intervention is for the addict to choose drug rehab—immediately. An ultimatum is usually made: go to drug rehab or lose something specific and important. This “something specific and important” can be a spouse saying, “Get help or I’m divorcing you,” or it can be a parent telling a child, “Get help or move out.” The point is that the consequences for not choosing to get help immediately—that is, walk out the door, get in the car and drive directly to a drug rehab like The Canyon—are dire and also immediately effective.

Though it may sound harsh, a drug addiction intervention can be a valuable way to help your loved one get the help they need now. If you need assistance, check here the rest of the month for more tips or contact The Canyon if you would like a professional interventionist to assist you in approaching your loved one on the subject of drug addiction treatment.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, June 13th, 2009 at 8:47 am in Drug Addiction, Friends and Family

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