If your loved one struggles with a substance addiction you certainly feel the weight of their future and a desire to help them as much as possible. Perhaps they are in denial of their problem or think they have it under control? What do you do next? Here are four practical steps you can take today to help your loved one receive the professional care they need:
1. Educate Yourself on Addiction
Before you begin your efforts to encourage rehabilitation for your loved one, learn more about how addiction works, how it affects a person mentally, physically, emotionally, and socially, as well as treatment options. When you begin to have those hard conversations, you will be able to present objective facts rather than pleading on a purely emotional basis.
2. Set Healthy Boundaries
Though it may be easy to try to help your loved one by covering for their mistakes, this can lead to further denial of the problem. In order to work through an addiction, your loved one will need to acknowledge that they have an addiction. Set and maintain healthy boundaries in your own life - you can still love and support them without covering up the consequences of their struggle.
3. Help Them Make the Decision for Themself
Pleading and guilting someone into seeking help for an addiction seldom proves successful. By asking open-ended questions such as “What do you want for your future?” “What is standing in your way of having the life you desire?” may help your loved one to realize they need professional help in order to achieve the life they want.
4. Seek Professional Help
Many times an outside intervention or coaching is needed in order to help your loved one reach the help they need. If the above efforts are not working, do not despair. You can find professional help by contacting Solace Asia at 012.885.4686.
