How to Help an Addict – A Visual Guide
This is a visual guide to help illustrate how you can best help an addict or an alcoholic. The main concepts are highlighted throughout this guide and helpful bits of information are given with them. Anyone who is interested in learning more about these concepts would do well to investigate an organization called Al-anon and try to find one of their meetings to attend. Once there, the people who regularly attend Al-anon can help to give you pinpoint advice on how best to proceed with your situation. Getting information online is good, but getting advice in real life is better. Hopefully you will find this visual guide useful!
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve just read your site. My husband, Charles, has to give me my pain pills daily, or my doctor won’t prescribe them. I bug Charles to give me extras, and I know I’m going to lose him if I don’t stop this and just make do with the 6 pills. I have chronic pain and cannot function without them. My medical tests prove this. How can I stop pestering him? I’m a Christian, and I pray constantly. I love him so much, but I have to wonder if I love the pills more. Lord knows I pray not. Pleae give me some words of wisdom. There are times when I get that addict’s craving, and I don’t know what to do.
@ Pauletta – 2 suggestions for you. One, I would recommend that you go to inpatient rehab. Second, I would suggest that you ask your doctor about possibly using Suboxone to manage your pain, and your opiate addiction. Might be worth exploring for you…..Good luck
Hi Patrick
Thank you for your wonderful article. My family is struggling to help a young man in our family. How are you doing today? I was curious as to what area you are from and if you do any outreach work with those suffering from addiction. Thank you.
hi. Im struggling with a husband who is a drug addict. He tells me he can get off it by himself as we do not have money for a rehab. Is this possible? He is currently using supatex,thus far he used one yesterday and intends on using it for the next 6days. Please advise me what is best. Thank you
@ Heidi – well he is possibly going to be able to taper off the medicine by himself. That particular drug is actually used to help opiate addicts to detox off from heroin and other opiates, so at least it is not a worse situation. I would wait it out and see how he does. Encourage him to ask his doctor to set up a taper schedule for him to ween down off the medicine. Good luck.
I have a very good friend that is addicted to pain pills and now it is effecting everyone in the household. She has a mother that I think is helping her addiction by giving her money and allowing her to use her car to go get the drugs and then she has two wonderful children age 12 and 6 that are suffering do to all the craziness going on at the house. They miss way to much school and are not cared for properly. I am not related so I do not know how to handle this. They are in desperate need of an intervention but I don’t know how to do it without being a relative. I am in Kentucky and she is on Passport do you know of anyone I can call to talk with. I really want to help before her kids are taken away.
@ Mary Ann – I don’t know anyone in Kentucky but I bet if you call a crisis hotline or go to an Al-anon meeting you can ask questions and get directed to the resources that can help you.
Good luck.
Hi,
I have just found this website today, I am an alcoholic who has been functional or so I thought for the last 6 years. I have a very prominent job and a husband who loves me very much, I am now seeking professional help but am still finding it very hard. I hate the fact that I am hurting the people who love me. I need a friend! is there anyone out there who can help? It woud be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Hi ,
my son is a drug addict at 25 years old and is currently in a treatment facility where he went voluntarily. I love him and do not want to enable him. My husband and I go to visit him almost daily at the rehab center and I am not sure what to say. I am glad he is there and am concerned about when he is out of the center and how to respond at that point. I guess I am not sure how to be a good mom.
Thank you!
My husband is a crack addict. I am having a very hard time dealing with this. We never have any money or food in the house. He gives it all to his habit. I feel like I’m going crazy. Please if anyone knows of any good advice please give it now.
Hi
I am a student social worker and i am very concern with substance abuser.I want to know how do you help a substance abuser and why should they receive help.
My husband is addicted and I have to learn how to live with an addict. I hate drugs with a passion and I will flip out when he lies to feed his addiction. It’s a yo-yo life style. He does have neck n back injuries and a few surgeries. He feels less of a man and not the same. We try and it’s a battle. We are in love with each other and made a commitment to grow old together. We just celebrated our 21 anniversary. I need to back off and stop being an investigator. Help me understand to help in a caring way and non threatening way. He is on suboxne and medical marijuana.
I lived with functioning alcoholic for 23 years and final broke-away on my own. I have since re-married a wonderful man, who does not drink, smoke or use drugs. His 29 year old son lives with us. He is a musician, no work, but does collect the occasional royalties from a song he wrote. His brother 25 years, just showed up at our doorstep, addicted to heroin. The musician son is helping his brother through the withdrawals. Yesterday, they both entered the house smelling of marijuana. It pains and angers me to be in a living situation of addition again. Your website has reminded me of how important it is to detach. My husband is in denial that this is a serious problem and thinks his son will overcome this fine. There is a chance he will, but in the meantime, I know that I must stop worrying about this and take care of myself. So I have enrolled in some community activities to distract myself and make sure I get rest and exercise. Wish us luck!
@Sharon. I was married to 2 different alcoholic/addicts, and until I began working the 12 Steps in the Al-Anon Family Group fellowship my life continued to spin out of control. Even after leaving both addicts, my behavior remained the same, and I continued to attract either addicts or people affected by addiction. I use to cope by getting busy…by distracting from the emotions that hurt so much. But now, through Al-Anon, I see my part in the equation, and I am able to find serenity amidst the insanity that addiction brings. Your post says “wish me luck,” but with Al-Anon, you won’t need luck…you just need to show up. Peace!
i am in love with an addict of cocaine.
he uses about twice a week, but this generally wrecks his and my life.
we are in love but i am also quite aware that an addict has no levels of real knowledge of commitment, except to his addiction.
i have never been to any meetings for myself, and neither has he.
i ugess detachment is what i am reading i must do, is this indeed true?