If you know someone – maybe a family member or a close friend – who is struggling with substance abuse, you are probably thinking about ways to help them.
Helping someone who's dealing with drug addiction is not an easy commitment, but it will serve high possibilities. Your support is not just a small gesture, it will help your loved one to have a larger chance of overcoming substance abuse.
Generally, taking care of someone with an addiction to substances can be hard and stressful to the point that you feel like you just want to neglect them. It somehow brings feelings of anxiety, shame, and depression.
However, keep in mind that you are not alone in this situation because many health support centers are ready to help you and your loved one.
Quick Navigation
The Harmful Effects of Substance Abuse
When an individual is dealing with substance misuse, the health effects may rely upon the historical backdrop of their health, the kind of used drug, and different substances that an individual may be taking.
Although certain kinds of drugs distinctively affect the mind and body, the negative impacts of addiction will get worse over time if not properly ministered.
Furthermore, a person suffering from drug misuse, abuse, and addiction can end up having short-term and long-term harmful health effects.
Short-term Health Impacts of Substance Misuse:
- Having a hard time to sleep or sleeplessness
- Obvious changes in appetite
- Unable to coordinate normally
- Changes in the heart such as increase heart rate
- Incomprehensible communication
- Poor academic or work performance
- Less fascinated with formerly interesting activities
Long-term Health Impacts of Substance Addiction:
• Respiratory Problems
The substances that people breathe in or smoke can end up in ongoing respiratory diseases and contaminates making large damage to the entire respiratory system. A
t the point when an individual's respiration is badly damaged, the individual may struggle to inhale normally.
• Kidney damage
The kidneys’ main role is to filter excess minerals and waste products from the blood. Such substances can cause damage to the kidney or worse, kidney failure may occur.
If this ever happens, the person’s health is at stake, and must receive conventional treatment.
•Liver disease
Scarring, aggravation, and liver failure are the harms caused by alcohol and chronic drug use. This might be one of the worst cases particularly when drugs have been used with another kind of drug and has taken too much alcohol.
Mainly, it can damage a person’s living cells and leave critical damage to the liver.
•Overdose
Drug overdose can either be intentional or accidental. The longer the person’s exposure and the higher the dose consumption, the worse poisoning will occur which may prompt an overdose.
Most of the time, this happens when excessive drugs are combined and the person’s body couldn't take the poison that comes together.
Tips To Help Someone Overcome Substance Abuse
When someone struggles with substance abuse, the challenge is that the person is not the only one affected by this disease.
Friends, colleagues, and relatives can have a hard time dealing with the person's legal issues, financial issues, behavior, and have a hard time giving support to loved ones.
Overcoming drug abuse will be achieved easier if the person helps himself and takes great responsibility for his recovery. Moreover, here are helpful tips that you can serve as a guide to give your support to an addicted loved one.
-
Stage an Intervention
Conducting an intervention may be helpful, particularly if the person you care for has changed responses to your concerns or unable to give any responses anymore. Professionals from Coastline Behavioral Health say that before you organize an intervention, it is advised to speak to a social worker first, specifically to a substance counselor. One of the most effective substance abuse evaluations to assess a person’s alcohol and drug usage, which can be done online before you meet with certified substance counselors.
If your loved one participates willingly in the intervention itself, your support is a huge part of it and you give a high chance of overcoming the addiction of the person.
-
Try to Stay Involved
Once they are finally into a treatment center, some of the best ways you can help are by sending them essential packages and most importantly, by visiting them whenever possible.
Be there for them and express your presence in a way of providing willingness.
Another tip that may be helpful is to purchase resources that you know will help in their recovery such as some stuff that they formerly enjoyed.
Recovery from drug abuse may not go smoothly but with the involvement of drug rehab in places like West Palm Beach and support of friends and relatives, it will be much easier to overcome.
-
Strike a Balance
Caring for someone who suffers from substance addiction is a tough encounter, and the best help you can do is to make them feel that you genuinely care for them and you're supporting their recovery journey.
Of course, you can do this while keeping your limits for the protection of your welfare and security.
Yes, support is indeed important but too much dedication to the whole process can be damaging. You must maintain a genuine balance when building a relationship again, whether they are already undergoing recovery or still making use of abusive drugs.
It is suggested that you inform them regarding the boundaries and limitations that you want to set in between your relationship.
During the course of helping your loved one to get through substance abuse, do not forget the importance of your well-being and the needs of your own physical and mental health.
Caring for an individual with an addiction is undoubtedly difficult, but it is not impossible to survive it. The foremost thing to help them is to make them feel loved and cared for, while you are maintaining proper protection and boundaries for yourself.
Remember that there are many help centers and health support that are willing to help you and your loved one to overcome this challenging experience.