Opioid addiction is becoming increasingly common in the modern world, but most people can’t imagine it being a problem for someone they love until faced with the truth. It can be difficult to know what to do in a situation as complex and troubling as having a loved one suffer from an opioid addiction. But there are things you can do to help your loved one without jeopardizing your relationship with them.
Signs to Look For
Before you can help your loved one through the difficult time they are experiencing, you need to be able to identify the problem. That means taking time to notice the signs that point to the problem of addiction. According to Pinnacle Treatment Centers, opioid addiction is an inability to stop using opioids or a state of being where the use of opioids is interfering with daily functioning. Your loved one may also start to distance themselves from you and other loved ones as they seek isolation from friends and family. Opioid addiction generally starts with prescribed use of opioid medication, but from there it progresses into something much worse.
How to Communicate Your Intent to Help
When you first approach a loved one about their dependence to prescription drugs and other opioids, they may be defensive. So, it is important to make sure that you approach them in the right way. 7 Summit Pathways recommends that you are supportive and not accusatory as you talk to them. It can also help to give them time to talk and to listen to what they have to say. If it doesn’t go the way you hoped the first time, make sure to not give up, it can take time and patience to help your loved one.
How to Link Your Loved One with Resources
It is important that you also take some time to learn about the options they have so you can give them resources to help. According to Mental Health First Aid, you should avoid using labels or criticizing their character, however, if you want to get anywhere discussing their behavior and possible solutions. As Jesus states in Matthew 7:12, during his famous Sermon on the Mount, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” Put yourself in the place of your loved one, and offer resources to them with that frame of mind. One of the most important resources they should know about is the possibility of getting individualized help in a treatment center.
Helping a loved one with addiction can be hard at times, but it is important that they know you support them. Approach things with a loving attitude to get the interaction off on the right foot. With the love of Christ and support from their loved ones, they will be able to move towards recovery.
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