Helping Your Loved One Get Treatment for Substance Abuse

When a loved one has a substance abuse problem, it can cause a ripple effect that sends shock waves through the entire family. Substance abuse problems don’t happen overnight, and the key for helping someone you love overcome addiction is to act quickly. If you suspect that your loved one may be addicted to drugs or alcohol, there are real ways that you can help. The first step is understanding the signs that he may have a problem. 

Understanding Addiction

While one person may be able to use a drug recreationally and never get hooked, others may become helplessly addicted to the substance, unable to rid themselves of their habit. The jury is still out on why substance abuse affects some people more than others, but experts theorize that there are a number of reasons.

-Family history.
 For many people, the tendency toward addiction is genetic. This is especially true of alcoholism. If your parents had a drug or alcohol addiction, chances are you will too. 



-Past trauma. 
Some people self-medicate with alcohol or drugs in order to escape the horror of a traumatic childhood or other traumatic event. This can easily lead to addiction as the substance becomes the only thing that soothes the person and helps fight off negative thoughts and memories.

-Mental disorders. 
People suffering from illnesses such as depression or anxiety are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol than those who are not. In depressed individuals, drugs often become a source of “medication” that lifts the spirits and lighten the mood.

Understanding how powerful substance addiction can be is key to getting help for your loved one. Recreational drugs and alcohol often increase the level of dopamine in the brain. This “feel-good” chemical helps the person to experience a euphoria that the brain will crave again and again. After the brain gets used to the sensation, it may require more and more of the drug to duplicate the experience. 

Changes in the brain may cause users to lower their inhibitions, engaging in behaviors that they might not normally engage in while sober. They may steal to get money for drugs, drive recklessly, become violent or spend money without thought of consequence.

Helping Your Addicted Loved One

; If you suspect that your loved one is addicted to drugs or alcohol, there are certain signs to look out for.

They include:

-Sudden changes in mood. He may go from a normally happy person to a moody and sullen state without explanation.

-Changes in physical appearance. When substance abuse problems become overwhelming, people often neglect their hygiene, grooming and physical appearance. If your normally neat and clean relative starts to neglect bathing or wearing clean clothes, it can be a sign of substance abuse addiction.

-Neglecting responsibilities. People who are addicted to drugs may become so caught up with getting and using the drug that they neglect their normal responsibilities. They may be unable to care for children, miss work or get failing grades in school. 

There are ways that you can get help for your loved one if you suspect that he is addicted to drugs or alcohol. There are great outpatient centers that treat substance abuse victims and help them to regain control of their lives.

Sites like www.iopcenter.com offer more information about getting treatment for someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol. 

Working together with your loved one is key to getting him the help that he needs. In many cases, the person with the addiction is unable to see how their addiction is negatively affecting their life or the lives of those around them. You cannot, however, force the person to get treatment. They have to want to help themselves and they will need to participate in their own treatment in order to enjoy the maximum benefits of addiction treatment. 

Sometimes it may take a major event to encourage the person to do the work necessary in order to get clean and sober. Maybe they will be arrested, or their spouse will threaten to leave them. In most cases, it won’t come to those extremes, but it often takes a life-changing incident in order to convince people that they need help. 

Substance abuse can affect people in many ways. It can mean the loss of close relationships, life goals or even your freedom.

If you suspect that your loved one may have a substance abuse problem, there are organizations that will help you to help them. Understanding substance abuse is the first step in helping him to transform his life.