Help Your Loved Ones with Addiction
The first step on the road to recovery is often the most difficult but becomes the most rewarding.
Transformations will show you how to help loved ones without enabling them. Transformations by the Gulf is by your side for this step and each one along the way. From the moment you contact us, we will focus on your loved one’s wellbeing. During our initial phone call, we will listen carefully to your needs and begin assessing treatment options.
We will also answer all your questions about our programs, their costs, and the types of insurance policies we accept. Transformations by the Gulf is proud to accept most insurance providers, which helps make our care accessible.
Some Signs Of Addiction and Drug Abuse
Withdraw From Family & Self
One of the first signs that a person is using drugs is that they’ll usually withdraw from family or social gatherings, mostly out of fear of being exposed. Missing work, appointments, and loss of interest in their hobbies are also red flags.
Mood Changes
Substance abusers can have severe changes in mood, often becoming irritable when they don’t get their daily fix. Other behavioral changes could include defensiveness, confusion, denial, rationalizing, blaming others, inability to deal with stress,
and obnoxious silliness.
Physical Changes
Weight loss is often associated with substance abuse as well as skin and teeth problems. Repetitive speech patterns, dilated pupils, and excessive runny or stuffy nose are usually overlooked at first.
Three C's of Dealing with an Addict
It’s easy to feel helpless when you’re watching a family member, parent, spouse, or friend struggle with addiction. You might even wonder what you did wrong. Trying to control or even fix the situation yourself is common, but remember the Three C’s:
- You didn’t cause the addiction.
- You can’t cure the addiction.
- You can’t control the addiction.
The First C: You Didn't Cause It
There’s nothing that you did or didn’t do to cause your loved one’s addiction, even if they blame you. You didn’t create the addictive behavior or any fall out from it. You need to know and understand this fact.
The Second C: You Can't Cure It
Addiction is a powerful physical, mental, and spiritual disease that you cannot cure yourself. This doesn’t mean that addiction can’t be cured or that you should give up. It just means that professional help, in the form of rehabilitation treatment lead by properly qualified experts, is needed for recovery.
The Third C: You Can't Control It
Substance abuse affects brain chemistry; you can’t control an addict’s behavior. There are often people, places, and things that support the way an addict behaves on a day-to-day basis. You can’t change this without help. The best thing you can do is to help the addict in your life get connected to professional treatment, so they are removed from the people, places, and things that foster their addiction. From there they can start developing the coping skills needed to break free from addiction and begin a new life.
What Are The Next Steps?
The first step toward recovery from alcohol or drug addiction is admitting there is a problem. If you are still unclear, take our self-assessment quiz to see if this helps clear up any confusion. Educate yourself about addiction and the different types of addictions.
Don’t let yourself become abused. It’s extremely common for family and friends to allow themselves to become mentally, emotionally, and physically abused by their loved ones that are addicts. Set boundaries and get help.
Don’t be an enabler by making excuses for that person. Too often instead of dealing with the addiction head on out of fear of hurting or being hurt by our loved ones, people take the easy route and ignore the issue. Don’t call in to work for them, make up stories as to why they are behaving the way they are, etc.
Seek professional help for you and your loved one. If you are dealing with an addict, professional help is highly encouraged to help support the family and friends that are impacted by not only the behavior but also the ongoing therapy to support the rehab.
Take action now. Have the courage and take action by reaching our support.
“Recovery is hard. Regret is harder.”
Brittany Burgunder
After Rehab Thoughts….
Ready to Escape Addiction? Let’s Get Started
Transformations by the Gulf is a premier leader in the provision of addiction treatment services. If you or someone you love is in need of professional care to address a Substance use disorder, reach out to us right now at (727) 498-6498 to speak with an admissions specialist who can get you started on the road to recovery. Verified treatment center by Psychology Today!
If you are ready, let’s start the Admission Process.
