How can I help someone with substance abuse? Tips for helping some with a substance abuse problem. It's difficult because, unfortunately, most substance abusers don't want to change their lifestyle. Most...
It's difficult because, unfortunately, most substance abusers don't want to change their lifestyle. Most alcoholics don't want to stop drinking and most drug addicts don't want to stop doing drugs. There are some forms of action called intervention, where a clinical intervention will team up with friends and family of the addict and make a plan to approach the addict and impress upon him or her the importance of coming to treatment. The first phases in treatment are what's called the psychoeducational phase. We call it psychoeducational because it's sort of a therapy. It's counseling. We don't advertise that we do education but in a sense, it is educational. It's just a formality in a locality because we are not licensed or overseen by the Department of Education. That's why we don't call it educational per se. Basically that phase of treatment informs the patient and educates them on their addiction, why they may be addicted, how addiction works and what their addiction is doing to them physically, mentally, emotionally and in every aspect of their life. If someone could at least agree to enter in to that first phase, they will get a good basic understanding of what they are doing to themselves.
A lot of it is just sitting down and reasoning with the person and unfortunately, treatment is voluntary. If someone doesn't want to voluntarily come, there is probably not much you can do with that. It's something that they have to want to do and that's why most people, unfortunately, go through the cycle of completely destroying their life. Or, when they realize they have nothing, then maybe they will decide to come and get help.
