Addiction affects more than someone who uses drugs. It impacts everyone in their life as well. If you have a loved one who suffers from an addiction, it can be challenging to see a path forward. What should your next steps be once you know the addiction exists? One way you can help them and make sure they get the help they need is to help them seek a substance abuse treatment program.
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Run the Numbers
It may seem like no one anywhere can understand what it is like to love someone with an addiction. The truth is it might be more common than you realize. The National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics reports:
- 700,000 drug overdose deaths since 2000.
- Fifty-three million people over the age of 12 used drugs in 2018. That’s 19.4 percent of the population. This number includes both illegal drugs and misuse of prescription medication.
- Add alcohol and tobacco to the list, and that number goes up to 60.2 percent.
- In 2018, over 20 million people had a substance abuse disorder.
Understand Codependency
Codependency means to enable addiction. The things friends and family do can sometimes allow addiction to go untreated. For example, maybe you give this person money even though you know they will use it to buy drugs. Perhaps you turn the other way when they are clearly under the influence. Codependency can be an intimate part of a relationship when there is a loved one with an addiction. You put their feelings above yours because you want them to be happy and safe. In the process, you lose the ability to set boundaries and find the help you both need. The better you understand how addiction works, the more you will be able to help. Addiction is a complex illness that has roots in both biological and environmental triggers. Often, there are co-occurring mental health conditions, as well, such as depression and anxiety. If your loved one needs mental health treatment, seek out a depression treatment program or an anxiety treatment program at Ethan Crossing Recovery.
Get Input From Others
It is not easy to look at a situation that affects you so personally with an unbiased eye. Talk to others about what is going on and what you can do about it. There are peer support groups that can provide guidance for you. Letting others in will also help you express your feelings and practice self-care.
Look at Treatment Options
One of the best things you can do when you have a loved one with addiction is to serve as an advocate for them when looking at treatment options. Ideally, you want a dual diagnosis treatment program that offers a diverse list of services. Ethan Crossing in Springfield, Ohio, part of the New Vista Health System, provides:
- Alcohol detox center program
- Residential treatment program
- Partial hospitalization treatment program (PHP)
- Intensive outpatient treatment programs (IOP)
- Outpatient treatment program
We work with a patient right from the start of their recovery journey and stay with them during each stage of it. While our patients are in treatment with us, they can expect a variety of therapeutic programs such as motivational interviewing, cognitive-behavioral therapy, working the 12-steps, and self-help alternatives. Ethan Crossing believes that family plays a major role in healing, so we bring them into the treatment process, as well, by offering engagement opportunities and counseling that involve different family members. When you have a loved one with addiction, it is hard to know what to do. Let us help. Give our expert staff at Ethan Crossing Recovery a call at 833.691.0736 for more information about how to help a loved one with addiction.