Spotting Addiction in a Loved One & Get Them To Consider Professional Addiction Treatment

When you can stop you don't want to, and when you want to stop, you can't ... ~ Luke Davies AA is not a program to get sober... it's a program to live your life successfully and to be happy once you get sober.

One of the saddest things that can happen to a family is to discover that a loved one has become an addict (real definition of an addiction, as it's a vague concept). Sadly, the signs that your loved one may be an addict are not always out in the open and easily recognizable to the average person, especially if they have never been exposed to someone who is in fact an addict. The signs are not always easily recognized and sometimes can be very subtle; this makes them difficult to spot.

Aside from the difficulty of recognizing the signs of addiction there is also the issue of trying to convince the addict of the need for help and rehabilitation. The sad truth is that as difficult as it can be to recognize the signs of addiction in a loved one, the chore of convincing them of the need for professional addiction treatment can be an even more daunting challenge.

Where to Begin?

The first step is to recognize that a problem does exist and that can often be a job in and of itself. There are of course signs but the problem is often that the signs have a tendency to be very subtle in the beginning and the escalation often gradual. Sometimes the escalation of the symptoms is gradual to the point that until something extreme takes place; many don't even realize that the warning signs are there.

Often, the first sign is a slight change in personality or temperament. Generally, this change is along the lines of noticing that the loved one may simply be somewhat short tempered or in a slightly aggravated mood. As time passes this mood tends to become more and more obvious, but since the addict has been in such a mood for a length of time the connection isn't always made between the mood and addiction.

Generally, along with the mood swings there also develops the need in the addict to become more and more reclusive. This may start simply enough with the person stating that they want time to themselves; since this is something everyone needs it doesn't seem like an unreasonable need. However, the reason is, of course, because they want to indulge in their addiction. Again, this will escalate more and more as their addiction increases and their need to indulge becomes much more frequent.

By the time the above mentioned signs have become much more noticeable other issues such as lack of money, financial problems, anger issues and the deterioration of the addict's health and appearance will be very noticeable as well. Sadly, by the time the more obvious signs have been noticed the addiction has usually taken a severe hold of the addict. Usually by this point the addict's loved ones have begun to put the pieces together and are trying to figure out exactly how they should proceed and get their loved one the help they need. The catch to getting an addict help is that they have to actually want the help, not for others but for themselves, otherwise all the effort and work will be for nothing. Inevitably they will find their way back to the source of their addiction and each relapse can be much more traumatic then the one before, as well as also finding the addict more firmly in the grip of the source of the addiction.

The Repercussions of Addiction

Sadly, the addict has a tendency to believe that they can easily handle the addiction. Basically, they think they have a hold on it when in fact it has a hold on them. But the sad part is that addiction affects not just the addict but the addict's loved ones as well. These repercussions can have wide and varying effects on the lives of those closely involved with the addict. Severe financial problems such as unemployment, depletion of income and savings tend to be the initial steps for the addict to support their habit. Other issues that can evolve are theft of valuables to either be sold or traded for the source of the addiction, violence in the addict, the dysfunction that it can bring into the home and family and of course psychological problems as well for those dealing with the addict.

How to Spot An Addiction?

Convincing the Addict to Seek Professional Help for Their Addiction

Although the most basic rule of an addict seeking help is that it has to be because they actually want the help, there are ways to help convince them of the need and instill a desire in them to want to get the help they need. One method that has become very widely used and accepted is the intervention method. An intervention involves the help of an experienced addiction counselor to help mediate the process. What takes place is that the addict is confronted by friends and loved ones who make the addict aware of the various ways their addiction has had a negative impact on both their life and their relationship with the addict.

Interventions can be very effective due to the 'in the face' aspect they employ. Often when an addict is confronted with the problems their addiction has caused to those around them, it tends to make them somewhat defensive, but it also shows them that those around them will not make any further excuses to cover their problem. When an addict is made aware that no one will make excuses or turn the other way to their addiction and the problems it can cause, this can often cause an awakening moment in the addict.

Another method is the hard love method, which also forces the addict to address the issue. This method is often used with intervention as a way showing the level of commitment that the addict's family and friends have when it comes to their determination not to allow the problem to affect their own lives. Generally, this method means that the addict is totally on their own in their addiction; they will receive no further excuses or help in addiction from friends or family. In a lot of situations the help of family members can have a big positive impact on the addict, but this method of treatment does have its merits for sure! It may look a bit harsh, but it also tends to have a profound affect on the addict and their decision to get professional help. These two methods are very effective when combined, but its important to remember that if a ultimatum is given then it must be enforced or it's useless and will not have any affect on the addict and the addict still has to be the one who wants to change.

Further reading...

There's loads and loads more great info on the web & here's a start: