How to Approach a Loved One About Their Addiction

help-3049553_640

Table of Contents

How to Approach a Loved One About Their Addiction

“I think my boyfriend is addicted to drugs.”

“I’m afraid my daughter is addicted to drugs.”

“My best girl friend is lost in drug addiction.”

If you’ve found yourself saying any of these sentences, then you’ve probably struggled, like most people, with the right words to say and the right things to do.

Knowing one of your loved ones is trapped in the cycle of addiction can be unbearable.

Everything in you wants to save them from this destructive lifestyle but nothing you do seems to help. It’s a tough position to be in, and you’re not alone. In 2015 it was estimated that 22 million Americans aged 11 or older were struggling with substance abuse. The odds are, every single person dealing with addiction has, at the very least, one friend or family member who knows and has tried to help. Often, helping someone find his or her way out of addiction can be extremely difficult.

How Can I help today?

The hardest thing about helping a loved one in addiction is figuring out how to communicate with them. Any effort to hold an impactful conversation is often avoided through tactics such as anger, aggression, lying, or sarcasm. Your best bet at having a productive conversation is to plan ahead. Figure out when you want to talk, what you want to say, and accept the fact that you may not see immediate results from your conversation. The important thing is that you are trying to help someone you care about, and you are planting the seeds necessary to bring him or her into the light.

Making them aware that you know. Assuring them that they are not alone. Offering the idea of a better life and resources that can help them.

Approaching The Situation with love.

Here are a few tips for effectively approaching your loved one about their addiction.

Try to talk with them at sober moment.

The point here is to approach them when they are able to think the most clearly. If you’re loved one is getting high or drinking on a regular basis your best bet may be an early morning conversation. At this point they may not have had the time to start their daily cycle. Talking to your friend or family member while they’re inebriated is a lost cause. Any decisions made or discussed during this time will more than likely be forgotten or cause them to spiral further, as stress and guilt negatively impact their state of mind.

Make it your plan to be calm and loving.

The honest truth is, at this point, you care more about your friend’s sobriety than they do. You are extremely emotionally involved in the situation and you’re sober. Your friend is in the exact opposite position. For this reason it is very easy for the conversation to escalate. Going in, make it your mission to stay calm. If things begin to get heated, step away. Arguing with your friend will simply create a wall between you two, making it more difficult for you to positively influence them in the future.

Don’t get mad or lecture.

Being that you are sober and looking at the situation for an outside perspective, you can clearly see all the ways addiction is controlling and ruining the life of your loved one. Everything in you wants to list off each instance where they’ve failed as a result of using. Resist this urge. Although it may not seem like it, they already know how addiction has crippled them. Feeling judged, and being lectured will likely cause them to isolate and rely more heavily on using. Be honest, but don’t be harsh. Although using initially was their choice, at this point it is out of their control.

Allow them to see how using impacts you and others.

Without being overly emotional or angry, tell your loved one how using impacts you. It is common for family or friends to try and act stronger than they are in order to shelter the addict. However, this actually enables them. Allow the addict to experience the consequences of their actions, first hand. Not to punish them, but to open their eyes to the reality of the situation. If they have stolen from you, it’s okay to let them know how it’s hurt you. If they have caused problems for your other relationships, you can let them know how this affects your life. Again, this is not an effort to “make them feel bad” but just an honest conversation about the effects of their drug use.

Try holding a loving intervention.

If you feel the conversation is just not working, and you don’t know what else to do, it may be a good idea to hold an intervention. When considering an intervention you should definitely take into account that this could be an extremely emotionally charged event. So, it is always a good idea to bring me a proven professional. Not only will they I able to answer questions and diffuse heated situations, but I bring an outside perspective to the table. I’m ready to guide your family to stable ground and give solid decisions.

Our Recovery Program

Before approaching your family member about getting help, it is a good idea to be prepared with a facility option. This will allow for a smoother transition. Tres Vistas Recovery is an amazing option. We have already helped many men and women through addiction, and helped them come out on the other side as changed loving people. It is our passion .If you are trying to get help for a loved one, please call us today. We are always available and we look forward to hearing from you.

"A great group of people who are passionate about helping people. The whole staff strives to make their clients feel safe and comfortable as possible."
ALEX M.
"I have experienced a couple of different recovery programs and Tres Vistas is by far the best."
DANNY K.
"Dr. Dan and The Tres Vistas Team really cares and makes sure that the clients receive the highest quality care."
KEITH P.
"Dr. Headrick and the staff of this facility are amazing and always willing to go above and beyond to help others, no matter the circumstances!!"
ADAM C.
"Professional and caring addiction treatment. The staff cares about each and every client. They help us sooo much!"
VALERIE B.
Previous slide
Next slide

Services We Offer

Intensive Outpatient Program

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

Individual Therapy

Group Therapy

Family Therapy

Partial Hospitalization Program

Insurance Providers We Are In Network With:​

Cigna Insurance Logo
First Health Insurance Logo

We also accept PPO Policies From:

United Healthcare

Tres Vistas Success Stories

Contact Us