Addictions are one of the most common psychological and psychiatric disorders. Therefore, it is possible that someone you know in your environment has gone through this type of problem.
However… How to help someone with drug addiction? Each case requires solutions adapted to the context in which one lives, but in general there are a series of guidelines that help a lot to leave drug addiction behind.
These are some useful tips to support someone who has developed dependence on one or more addictive substances.
1. Make him see the problem
Letting that person see that they have a problem is essential for them to begin their path to overcoming drug addiction. Yes indeed, You don’t have to do it with a hostile attitude, or that will only serve to distance that person from our lives
A good way to do this is by helping him see the positive aspects of a drug-free life, and showing him that it is possible to leave addiction behind.
2. Do not interrupt your consumption
You should not act like a police officer by imposing material limitations on that person’s access to drugs (for example, throwing away the addictive substance without their permission). It is a way to create a strong rejection of the idea of giving in to that blackmail and stop using to please someone who does not respect your decisions.
3. Recommend that you study your drug consumption patterns
A good way to begin to leave addiction behind is to pay attention to the sensations and situations that anticipate the uncontrollable desire to consume.
Therefore, to help someone with drug addiction, It’s a good idea to encourage your child to better understand how his or her body works In this way you will understand to what extent you do not control this type of behavior, but rather that there are mechanisms that act outside your will.
4. Encourage him to go to therapy
Going to psychological therapy is very important to reinforce that person’s commitment to the recovery process, in addition to providing information and tools and strategies to manage the discomfort that withdrawal will cause.
On the other hand, medical attention is also important to help you keep the physiological and neurological aspects of addiction under control, and to avoid certain situations that are dangerous to your health (for example, in people with a strong addiction to certain substances, stopping consuming dry and without medical guidance can be very risky).
5. Help you create short-term goals
To help someone with a drug addiction you also have to make it easy for them so as not to see this process as a long-term goal, but as something that brings benefits in the short and medium term. This way, you will have greater motivation.
For example, Create together a program of challenges to carry out with a daily frequency (the simplest ones) and weekly (other more complicated ones) and whose overcoming can make you feel good: not walking past a certain cocktail bar, doing relaxation exercises when the anxiety due to withdrawal becomes higher, etc. If possible, do it in coordination with the plans of the psychotherapist who is handling the case.
Asking him how his rehabilitation process is going helps him commit to the therapy, as long as it is not done in an overly insistent manner or through authentic interrogations. You just have to be interested in the topic in a way in which the other person talks more than us, giving them the opportunity to focus on the positive aspects of it all.
So, We will be creating an extra incentive to continue progressing : If he relapses, he will have to tell us or lie to someone who precisely pays a lot of attention to his progress. Neither experience is pleasant, and you will have more reasons to continue improving.
Of course, what you should not do is assume that your past drug addiction is a taboo subject and that you will not want to talk about it because you are ashamed; This would only contribute to him returning to the drug, since he will believe that this would not have too many effects beyond his own life, without considering that it is an issue that worries his loved ones and friends.
7. Help you not to isolate yourself socially
Loneliness is one of the direct routes to relapse in those people who already have a past of drug use. Therefore, a good part of the detoxification and rehabilitation process involves the support of those people who interact with the patient on a daily basis.
Carrying out activities together, giving them the opportunity to participate in projects in which their contributions are valued, making it easy for them to express themselves and share their hopes and concerns in contexts in which there is trust is crucial, and it is something that must be maintained consistently. indefinite, also once the psychotherapy phase to detoxify is completed.
So, to help someone who has gone through withdrawal but is still vulnerable to the desire to use drugs, We must seek help from others and, together, create environments in which that person can enjoy an active social life (and, of course, in which addictive substances are practically non-existent or, in the case of alcohol, remain very much in the background).
You can also give them support so that through you they can have new friends away from drugs. In this way, the association between “substance use” and “free time” and “fun” will gradually weaken, while the chances of finding sources of motivation that have nothing to do with drug addiction will increase. .
Are you looking for help?
If you are interested in having expert psychologists in the treatment of drug addiction, Visit us at Psicode Psychology Institute Our team of psychotherapists has many years of experience helping to overcome these types of disorders, both in the initial phases and in subsequent rehabilitation. To see our contact details, click here.
