You may see someone you know struggling with drug abuse or alcohol but knowing how to help an addict is an entirely different story.
Whether they are a family member, friend, or even your boss, getting someone addiction help can be a touchy subject. On one hand, you don’t want to upset them, but on the other hand, should you really just watch them fall deeper into addiction and not do anything? It is a difficult topic to address for sure, but not taking action could have dire consequences.
At Seaside Palm Beach, we are a luxury residential rehab in Florida that works with people struggling with various substance abuse problems. We know that many people are in denial about their substance abuse issues and may be resistant to treatment at first, so we want to help you learn how to help an addict get sober or least recognize that they have a problem.
How Do I Help An Addict?
There are many ways to approach helping those with addiction but knowing exactly how to help an addict get sober is not a clear-cut process. We know how troubling it can be so our luxury rehab in South Florida is here to give you a few pointers on the process.
- Be sure that addiction is their problem. Is your friend acting differently because they are abusing drugs or due to a difficult time in their life? Look for signs of addiction to confirm you suspicions before you accuse them.
- Educate yourself on addiction. If you go in with the mindset that addiction is a bad choice that the addict can just stop doing, you will never be successful if you confront them. Educate yourself as much as possible on the subject so that you have a much better understanding of what they are going through and you can be more empathetic.
- Talk to them first and offer your support. Especially if you suspect their addiction problems are just beginning, try to approach them alone about it first. Be sure to express your concerns calmly and assure them that you have their best interests in mind.
- Write Them a Letter. If talking to them in person is too daunting or it didn’t go well, you can try to write them a letter. Sometimes putting it in writing can be more effective as they are also able to read it over and over again.
- Recruit others for help. If they are not receptive when you tried to talk to them alone, you may want to think about getting help from some of their other loved ones. You do not want to make the addict feel cornered, but recruiting others to help could make it easier to determine the most successful way to approach the issue.
- Give them options. Yes, you want to get them help immediately, but a full-blown treatment center program may cause them to immediately shut you down, even a luxury facility center like ours may not be enticing enough. Give them options like seeing a therapist or attending a meeting to start with.
- Look for professional intervention help. Our intervention services in South Florida take the guesswork out of the best way to approach an intervention and how to help an addict. If you attempt to hold an intervention on your own, emotions could derail your goal. A professional interventionist gives you your best chance for success.
Before trying to help, make sure you prepare yourself for push back and denial from the addict, but try not to take it personally. Most importantly, remember that you cannot get someone help if they do not want it.
If you want to learn more about getting a loved one into treatment, reach out to us immediately at 561-677-9374 so that we may be able to assist you in the process.
