Are you finding it difficult to care for someone who is addicted to substances? How can you help them help themselves?
There are many different types of addictions. People can be addicted to legal (tobacco and prescription medication) or illegal (alcohol, cannabis, heroin and cocaine) substances. As discussed in the resilience section, substance abuse is one of the most common harmful coping mechanisms. It is used by sufferers to provide quick relief from distress but can prove harmful in the long run. There is also a difference between substance use and substance abuse. While using substances from time to time may be alright, becoming dependent on them is problematic and is said to be abuse.
Some signs of addiction include:
- The sufferer is using substances on a daily basis.
- The sufferer is spending a substantial portion of their time and energy on obtaining and using the substance, taking away time and energy from other activities.
- The sufferer is using more and more of the substance to get the same desired effect, for example if previously they consumed 3 drinks to get a buzz, they now consumes 6 drinks to get the same level of buzz.
- The sufferer gets withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, sadness or lethargy when they abstain from the substance.
As a caregiver, you may be very concerned but may not know how to help the sufferer. The first step in caring for sufferers of addiction is to care for ourselves because we need to deal with our feelings of worry and disappointment. To learn more visit the caregiver self-care section. We can then must try to understand the underlying sources of distress in the sufferer that are leading to the substance abuse. Remember, it is important to avoid blame, judgment and criticism of the sufferer, as this may drive them away. Instead you can improve your relationship with the sufferer by practicing compassionate listening. This may help the sufferer open up to you about the sources of their distress.
The last and most important step is to encourage the sufferer to seek professional help to address the addiction. Rather than forcing sufferers to stop the substance abuse, i.e. removing their harmful coping skill and leaving them without any coping skills, we must help them to start using helpful coping skills. To learn more visit the supporting sufferers section.