No one wants to tackle substance abuse alone, so one of your loved ones may seek your help with a substance abuse disorder. However, if a loved one comes to you for help, you may not know how to assist them. As you focus on your loved one, do some research to help you figure out how to help someone who suffers from a substance abuse disorder.
Offer Assistance and a Place to Stay
Sometimes, loved ones just need someone who can offer space whenever they need it. For example, some people need to spend time with others when they think they may relapse, so offering your home can help those people whenever necessary. From there, your loved one can show up at your house and stay the night to avoid any potentially dangerous substances.
On top of that, you can offer your general assistance with the recovery process. Make sure you talk with your loved one and see how you can provide help to ensure your loved one avoids relapses. That way, you can minimize risks for them and provide practical assistance.
Seek Help With Programs
While you can provide help to your loved one, you need to consider getting professional help. Medical professionals and those trained in addiction recovery can provide more hands-on support than you are able to provide. Many programs exist, so you have plenty of places to help your loved one out. However, only do so alongside your loved one, so you don’t betray their trust or go behind their back. As you look through programs and resources, you can find some options your loved one feels comfortable using.
Communicate Regularly
Throughout the process, you need to work with your loved one and do your best to communicate. Communication matters since you can see how your loved one feels and offer support whenever possible. On top of that, when you speak with your loved one, they know they can trust you with details and information as they focus on recovery.
However, some people focus so much on talking, they forget the importance of listening when it comes to communicating. Sometimes, your loved one will want to discuss the situation and have you listen, so make sure to focus on listening. As you do so, you can provide some needed support.
Find Resources to Help You
If you want to help your loved one, you need to find the resources available to you. While you can do your research and seek help, you can’t understand every situation and how your loved one feels. However, if you go through resources, you can prepare yourself and make it easier for you to help.
For example, if you have questions about how to help, you can reach out to people and ask them what you need to do. An approach like this will help you identify the best actions you can take in different scenarios. Doing so will make you an essential resource while your loved one recovers.
Remain Patient the Entire Time
As your loved one tries to overcome a substance abuse disorder, they need you to offer help throughout the process. On top of that, you can’t predict when your loved one will relapse, so you must remain patient. If your loved one relapses, don’t get upset; offer some advice and assistance despite the relapse.
When you remain patient, you show your love to your loved one, so they continue to trust you. Even if you sometimes feel frustrated, don’t express those negative emotions towards your loved one. Instead, focus on what you can do to leave them with positive emotions so they don’t feel hopeless or any excessive guilt.
Conclusion
Facing substance abuse naturally involves difficulties and challenging times for those involved, so do what you can to help your loved ones out. As you do so, you can see how your actions matter and what you must do to offer help. You can become a powerful assistant to help your loved one overcome this challenging moment during the addiction recovery process.
