Helping a family member suffering from DRUG ABUSE
Harshpreet kaur/ Clinical Psychologist / Patiala
The major cities of India are in the grip of the drug menace. This devastating vice finishes off the addicts by debilitating them physically and psychologically. The most disturbing fact is that the university campuses, college premises and school grounds nourish this evil more and more.
Drug addiction implies physical dependence upon a drug including the development of tolerance and withdrawal. An addict who develops tolerance requires more of the drug to transport him to the world of fantasies. If the addict is not allowed to take the drug he suffers from painful and uncontrollable convulsions, vomiting, depression and various other maladies
It is all too common to have a family member who is misusing drugs in some way, and if they haven’t been there themselves—and sometimes even if they have—many people are at a loss about what to do if a loved one is abusing drugs. Having an addict in your life can be a stressful and confusing time. While you may have a sincere desire to help someone with a substance abuse problem, you may not know where to start. In this article, I will try to provide you with a few steps you can take to attempt to get an addicted person the help they so desperately need. Doing this will also help you free yourself from what has most likely become an entangling situation.
- Educate yourself about addiction
First of all educate yourself,
We see what we know. Thus, until someone has some knowledge about drug use—the signs and clues that someone might be using, awareness of the lies that often go along with misuse of drugs, and so on—it is easy to simply not see things that are right in front of you. Once a person is educated he/she can easily notice symptoms and changes that a person undergoes, which makes it easy for the family members to provide intervention for the person.
- Do not allow yourself to be abused
It is all too common for family members of drug users to end up being abused in various ways. Emotional Abuse is probably more than normal than the exception, given that irritability and labile moods are common in those who are using drugs. Drug users often steal to support their use, and family members often present the easiest target for theft. Physical and at times sexual abuse occurs as well.
- Don’t “enable” the behavior by colluding with the user in some way or covering up the abuse
Allow the user to suffer some of the consequences of his or her drug abuse and do not cover-up or collude with the user. For instance do not hide it from other family members about the condition of the person who is suffering.
- Talk to the Addicted person about the situation
If you think a family member is suffering from drug abuse you should talk to then one-on-one first. Explain them that you are concerned that they may be suffering. If they admit and realize that they are undergoing a problem ask them if they want to go for in-patient rehabilitation. If the person is not ready to consider in-patient rehabilitation ask them if they want to go for a out-patient program.
But, if the person reacts with denial, anger, or hostility tell them that you are concerned for their life and that you will be taking additional steps to see that they get the help they need.
- Remember, You Didn’t Cause it, you can’t cure it, and you can’t Control it.
It is important to keep in mind that no matter what you do to help someone with drug abuse problem; your help may go unappreciated. Addiction is a cunning enemy of life. It takes years for a person suffering from drug abuse to get back to normal life. Some people don’t even recover and some may even die from this problem. All we have to do is stay positive and motivated to help the person.
If you have a loved one who is struggling with addiction, there are certain steps you can take to help the person you care about. These steps should be taken right away. It is important to remember that addiction is a life-threatening condition that can result in premature death. If someone you care about has a substance abuse problem, you should take action immediately. Every minute counts.
