Often, it is not easy to identify an addiction problem in someone in our environment. Although there are some very obvious addictions, there are other cases that addicts carry in silence and with relative secrecy. Therefore, the most common thing is to identify it somewhat later than we would have liked, with a usual reaction of always trying to help the affected person.
The intention is good and support is essential, but not being specialists, mistakes are often made in the process. To avoid doing counterproductive things that can distance the addict from their recovery, it is necessary to know some good behaviors that will surely help the patient and some behaviors that, on the contrary, can hinder the rehabilitation process.
Below, we see some common mistakes and how to turn them into useful and productive gestures.
Facing Reality: First Impressions
Acknowledging the illness out loud is a very hard moment both for the addict and for the people in their closest environment. Although there may have been previous suspicions, externalizing the taboo confirms that it is a problem that can no longer be ignored.
This revelation can come from a confrontation in which a third party makes the addict see that they have a problem, or it can be a confession by the affected person. At that moment, they externalize the concern they feel at having identified the problem and not having been able to solve it on their own.
In any case, the most common thing is for the patient to surrender to acceptance after being blamed several times by their environment—which points out an obvious problem while they deny it or downplay it; until a moment comes when, with resignation, they allow themselves to be guided toward help.
Whether asking for help is the addict’s initiative or the request is guided, it is important to be very empathetic with the person who is suffering. It is a vulnerable and painful moment that can be accompanied by a feeling of shame. Therefore, we must avoid blaming the addict or comparing them with other people, so as not to worsen the situation.
The Importance of Breaking Down Prejudices to Help
Addiction is not a vice, a bad habit, or a negative behavior that is chosen. Addiction is an illness that, like any other, requires medical treatment guided by a professional. While it is true that sometimes it can be avoided with proper prevention, not all people have the privilege of being able to access this. Even if the addict themselves may have promoted the illness by not taking measures, even if they have been warned by other people, telling them this when they are already suffering from addiction will have no positive effect.
It is a very delicate situation and therefore it is vital to act cautiously and always in favor of the affected person’s recovery. Everything we do must be constructive.
Do Not Contact Professionals on Behalf of the Other Person Without Their Consent
When there is a case of addiction, it is common to see the affected person feel weak and powerless in the face of the situation they are suffering. An addiction is capable of nullifying the patient and usually breaks down both their life and their personality. In this difficult situation, it would seem that the appropriate thing to do, to lend a hand to the addict, is to ask for help on their behalf if they are not capable, but this should not be done without the consent of the affected person.
You may think that the addict refuses help out of shame, lack of awareness or lucidity, or because they do not feel capable of undergoing a professional process, and it is possible that this is the case. But to achieve recovery, it is vital that the patient be fully aware of their problem and want to begin a recovery process aware of how important it is to follow it to leave the addiction behind.
Professionals will be able to help to a certain extent so that the patient finds—or can reinforce—the necessary motivation to heal, as well as give them guidelines to stay focused on the process and committed, but if they do not really believe that there is a problem or that it is worth fighting it, the treatment will bear no fruit.
The Support of the Closest Environment Is Vital
As people in the addict’s environment, what we can do is remind them of the reasons why they should strive to overcome the illness, provide an open communication space in which the patient feels comfortable expressing themselves without feeling judged, and eliminate as much as possible the most obvious obstacles that may hinder rehabilitation.
More things can always be done depending on the addict’s personal situation, although one must think about what they really need and never about our own ideas or assumptions. But just by meeting the simple requirements mentioned, we are already promoting recovery because it will only be in a safe space that the addict will dare to express themselves completely, which will make it possible for us to address those problems that the affected person knows are the ones that affect them the most.
Recovery Is Not a Linear Process
Sometimes, there are people who try but cannot stay by the addict’s side, as relapses are very difficult for the patient and their environment. The recovery process is closely linked to fortitude, patience, perseverance, and persistence, but above all to hope. That is why seeing setbacks is so difficult.
Although you may sometimes doubt it, your supportive presence is very important to the addict and you are very helpful, even if you may not always feel that way. Powerlessness is also one of the implicit feelings in the environment of any addiction.
If you wish to stay by their side, motivate yourself by thinking that you are their trusted person or one of them and one of their supports that they surely think of when they must look for reasons to endure abstinence. When the addict thinks about their rehabilitation and reintegration, you are in their future plans and those images have great emotional weight to allow them to continue and improve.
Help Yourself to Be Able to Help
In any case, this should not become a burden where you feel all the pressure of their recovery; that is the job of professionals. While it is hard to accept that we cannot continue acting as support, it is important to know how much we can endure and step aside if someone else’s illness begins to become our own. If you feel that it is too hard for you to witness the entire process up close and that you can no longer help or provide constructive support, ask the specialists for advice and take a healthy distance. Often this is better than consuming yourself alongside the addict. This can easily be counterproductive if with the wear and tear you begin to lose patience and accuse them of the situation or of your feelings of sadness and exhaustion. If you take care of yourself, when the professionals notify you that the patient is ready for reintegration, you will be able to receive them with open arms, help, and once again be their guide in a new and healthy stage of their life.
For any questions or inquiries, the professionals at CC Adicciones are available 24 hours a day at the telephone number 617 200 882 to help. Also through our form. For addictions, there is always a way out; it is only necessary to gather the strength to take the first step of asking for help, and from then on you will be able to count on a great support network with which you will be able to achieve your goal of leaving addiction behind. You are not alone!
