When a friend or family member has an addiction, it feels impossible to find the right things to say all the time. You want to push them towards the road to recovery, but you can’t push too hard. Peruse the Casa Recovery site to learn more about our programs and how to help anyone in your life affected by addiction. Contact us today for more information, but for now here are some helpful tips on how to encourage rather than enable.
DON’T Ignore the Problem
Ignoring the addiction may seem like the easiest course of action, but that doesn’t mean that it is the right way to deal with it. People suffering from drug or alcohol addiction will often lie or deflect the issue when confronted, which is part of their disease. While it may be hard to confront someone when you know they won’t react well, it is much better than ignoring the disease and allowing it to grow stronger. Becoming angry or shaming the addicted person will not help either. It is best to be calm and understanding when approaching the subject of drugs or alcohol to a person suffering from addiction, especially if you are suggesting a recovery center or a course of rehabilitation.
DON’T Point Fingers
Although it may be easy on the outside looking in to point the blame on people in the addicted person’s life who may have “caused” the problem in your eyes, it is best not to tell the person that you feel this way. It will only aggravate them and make them feel guilty, defensive, or angry. You can’t fully know the whole story of what brought on the person’s addiction and it will only make them feel worse.
DON’T Say “Once an Addict, Always an Addict”
This is untrue! There are so many different programs and options nowadays that while recovery is still a process, it is doable for people to break free of their addictions and live drug or alcohol-free. Check out our site for more details on our treatment programs and how to get help. Whether you are looking for yourself, your spouse, your child, or anyone else in your life, we can assist.
Get More Help for a Loved One at Casa Recovery
You don’t have to take on the burden of helping a family member out of addiction by yourself- our recovery center here in Orange County, California has both alcohol and drug addiction treatment programs to assist your loved one. Contact us today to learn more and to begin the process of healing and sobriety.