At Aarambh Sewa Sansthan, we understand that if it is left untreated, drug addiction can lead to a whole host of devastating problems and can have a profoundly detrimental impact on all areas of your life including your ability to function on a daily basis, your relationships with others, your performance at work, and your general health and quality of life.
However, it’s important to recognise that you don’t have to suffer on your own; drug addiction is treatable and the most crucial first step is to seek specialist drug addiction treatment, therapy & support. Our highly qualified drug addiction teams at Aarambh consist of expert psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists and other addiction specialists, and we are dedicated to providing personalised, comprehensive drug addiction treatment within our extensive network of specialist drug rehab clinics and wellbeing centres.
Watching a loved struggle with substance abuse can be unbearable, and you may feel completely unable to help. While you cannot break your loved one’s addiction to substances, there are steps you can take to help, including:
Know your substances. Investigate your loved one’s drug(s) of choice. Learn about the signs of intoxication and overdose so you can be more prepared in case of a crisis. Talk with addiction specialists.
Be open with your loved one. Tell him or her that you know about his or her struggle with substances, and do so with an open and vulnerable honesty. Listen to your loved one’s story and work with him or her to find common ground. While it is normal to feel a range of emotions, from sadness to anger to frustration to betrayal, try your best to be nonjudgmental and receptive.
Help your loved one with logistics. Offer to schedule appointments with treatment centers, and consider accompanying your loved one to the appointments. If your loved one decides to begin treatment, make arrangements for transportation, child care, and other logistical concerns so your loved one can focus on getting better.
Take care of yourself. You will not be much help to your loved one if you are burned out and exhausted. Give yourself permission to step away from taking care of your loved one from time to time, and make time for yourself.
Set healthy boundaries. You are not responsible for curing your loved one’s addiction, and his or her journey to recovery may be different from what you hoped for. Be flexible with him or her and understand that any steps towards treatment require great strength and courage.
Perhaps the most important thing you can do is try your best to support your loved one. Research on recovery suggests close relationships are a powerful buffer against stress. As such, your relationship is actually a critical part of your loved one’s recovery process. To whatever extent you are able, engage with and care for your loved one.
Why Consider Treatment for Drug Abuse?
Substance abuse in any of its forms is, at best, harmful and, at worst, fatal. The effects of substance abuse depend on which substance a person is abusing as well as the length and extent of abuse. However, all forms of substance abuse can cause significant problems. These can include physical effects like organ damage, illness, or infections, such as HIV, from sharing drug paraphernalia or engaging in risky sexual behaviors while high, as well as cognitive decline, memory problems, and distorted thought processes. Job loss, expulsion from school, legal trouble, financial trouble, homelessness, and chronic employment are also possible.
The ripples of substance abuse extend past the individual. Substance abuse can cause divorce, loss of custody, and destruction of relationships. The threat of a potentially fatal overdose is also an ever-looming danger. Despite the severe consequences of substance abuse and the feelings of hopelessness among those who struggle with it, treatments are available that can help substance abuse sufferers find freedom from addiction.
