It is disheartening to see a relative or friend going through drug addiction. From the physical changes to neurological effects they face. If you are an empathetic person, I am sure you will do what you can to get them out of that rabbit hole.
The recovery process can begin with a simple heart-to-heart conversation. Rather creating awareness of the long-term effects of drug abuse can also work. However, these methods are only effective when your loved one is a mild drug user.
In the case of addiction, you will need to take more stringent measures. This involves enrolling them in a detox centre near me. However, do not be too fast to take this approach. You need to first engage with them as the decision lies in their hands. Below are 4 topics you need to engage with them before signing them up to a detox center near me.
How do you feel in life?
Take time to see life from their point of view. This will help you understand what is causing their addiction. Essentially, addiction is a chronic disorder that is influenced by biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors.
In half of the cases of addiction, biological factors have been determined to be the cause. Ideally, genes have an impact on the body’s reward system when abusing a drug or engaging in other addictive behaviors. It is then passed to the offspring where they might get the heightened urge to re-experience the drug use. This can result in addiction
Additionally, psychological troubles such as stress, depression, and trauma can trigger drug abuse. They might use the drugs as an escape mechanism. In regards to the environmental and social factors, peer pressure and accessibility of the drugs significantly impact addiction. Therefore by understanding their life, you will have a snippet of what is the cause of the addiction and find an effective way of handling it.
What are you addicted to?
There are a lot of drug addictions they can be struggling with. Examples of common drug addictions include but are not limited to; methamphetamine, opioid, alcohol, cocaine. Therefore, understanding the type of addiction affects your choice of a detox center near me. This is because detox centers are usually specialized in a particular type of addiction to be able to find the appropriate treatment.
Would you voluntarily go?
To recover from an addiction, one needs to have an innate willingness. Otherwise, after forced rehabilitation, there are higher chances that they might go back to their old ways of drug abuse or even worse. In fact, research indicates involuntary rehabilitation does more harm to the victim than good. The Massachusetts department of public health found out that people who were forced into detox centers are twice as likely to die as those who voluntarily went. Therefore, you need to make sure they are willing to stop the substance abuse.
What are your recovery goals?
If they have agreed to enrol at a detox center near me, the next stage is to understand their recovery goals. Ideally, the ultimate goal is to get and stay sober. However, setting small achievable goals is the right path to attaining the final one. After knowing their goals, you should act as their accountability partner so that they do not lose track.
Addiction recovery is a milestone that needs determination and consistency. However, it is difficult for someone to go through it alone. Therefore you need to be the stepping stone your loved ones need to recover from addiction. However, you need to engage them in the decision-making process.
Getting detox is one of the best decisions you can make for yourself. In order to stay clean, remember to look into the difference between al anon and aa. You need a support system in order to stay clean and your family needs one in order to stay strong for you as well.