How to Help an Addict
Knowing how to help an alcoholic or someone you care about who is struggling with addiction can be challenging. Finding ways and understanding how to help an alcoholic partner or a partner using drugs or struggling with a behavioural addiction can be even more difficult. If your partner has an addiction, it is highly likely they will have betrayed your trust, which can fuel strong emotions and make it harder to offer the help you want to give.
When speaking to an addict about addiction treatment, it is important to acknowledge that they may not be ready to accept help yet. Here are three things to bear in mind if you don’t know how to help an alcoholic or a loved one with another addiction.
Call us now for help
Explain with “I” statements versus “you” statements — When you say “You don’t care”, you are showing the other person you are not open to their view. If instead, you say, “I am hurt because I feel as if you don’t care”, you open up an opportunity for the other person to explain how they feel and become more open to asking for your help.
Avoid negative statements — It is likely an addict will already be struggling with feelings of guilt and self-hatred. Giving a negative statement such as “You are a selfish pig” will only further reinforce any negative feelings they have about themselves. Instead, by saying, “When you’re not drinking or using drugs, you are so caring and thoughtful,” you are reinforcing that they have good traits and you can see the good outside of their addiction.
Show empathy — Being an addict is very lonely, and it can feel as if the people you care about do not understand that you are not choosing to be an addict. Showing empathy and asking questions about how an addict feels and what they find particularly hard shows that you want to understand what they are going through.
If you would like to understand more, this post explains dependence vs addiction, which you might find helpful.
Get Help Today
At Step by Step Recovery, we understand that addiction is a serious and complex disease that requires a range of treatment. We offer a variety of addiction rehabilitation services. Our residential and private rehab centres provide complete addiction treatment, relapse prevention and aftercare.
If you think you or someone you know may be struggling with addiction and need advice, we are here to help. Contact us for free for more information about the types of addiction treatment available and take your first step to recovery.
Why choose Step by Step?
- Fully Residential
- Around-the-clock care
- Medical detox unit
- Extended family support
- After care support service
- Nutritional food cooked by our chefs
- Outstanding quality of care
- Highly experienced team
