Meth Addiction Treatment Asks That You Not Give Up on the Addict in Your Life
If you didn’t care, you wouldn’t be here reading this post. Your love for the meth addicted person in your life has driven you to learn more and to look for some understanding. Every person with a meth addiction has people who love them, and being that loved one is a painful experience.
Ultimately, the meth addict in your life stops looking like the spouse, child, or parent that you remember fondly. Their need to get high drives them to manipulate the people around them and to damage relationships. They may even prey on your fears and guilt. This may make you want to throw up your hands and say “I give up,” but you shouldn’t.
If you can help them into treatment for meth addiction and support them during their time there, you may get your loved one back. You probably need the following reassurance.
The Meth Addict That You Love Can Recover
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, addiction is a progressive, chronic disease, but it a completely treatable one. This is why there are millions of people in the Untied States in recovery. Even if the person you love has yet to show any motivation to stop using meth, they may find the drive in meth addiction treatment.
Recovery May Mean Relapse
Relapse is not a necessary component of recovery, but it is a normal part of that process. Patients with chronic disease, like Crohn’s disease, asthma, and fibromyalgia, have a high likelihood of symptom recurrence. Often it is the cumulative weight of relapses that finally gets an addict committed to their recovery. Treatment for meth addiction will teach your loved one ways to minimize relapse, as well.
You May Be an Addict’s Greatest Resource
You can’t cure the addiction. You didn’t cause it. And, you can’t control it. But, you can be a resource for change. You know what drives your loved one and you can work with meth addiction treatment staff to activate this drive.
Does My Loved One Need Meth Addiction Treatment? How to Tell Your Family Member or Friend Needs Treatment for Meth Addiction
When a person is addicted to meth, they try to hide it and this often means pushing away friends and family they assume will start to suspect a problem. This can make it hard to determine whether or not your loved one has a true problem and a need for meth addiction treatment.
All meth use is problematic, but recognizing the point at which your loved one needs treatment for meth addiction in order to stop their use can be hard. And deciding to do something about it can be even harder.
Are They Unable to Control Their Consumption?
Active addiction is marked, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, by “drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite harmful consequences.”
At the point that your loved one can no longer make the choice to stop using, they need to be admitted to treatment for meth addiction, and you may want to try to get them into care before that because the earlier you can treat the problem the easier it is. Plus, early treatment is more likely to lead to positive recovery outcomes.
Are They Using as a Coping Mechanism?
A lot of people use substances to ease the stresses in their lives. This is why a lot of people fall into meth use. However, active addicts obsess about using meth. They structure their day around using the drug to scare away the monsters that lurk in the shadows of their lives. This creates a vicious cycle that may only be broken by meth addiction treatment.
Are They Isolating?
If your loved one seems to be hiding from you and spending all their time alone, it’s fair to worry. They may tell you that they don’t want you interfering in their life, but their secrecy is really a way of continuing their compulsive meth use.
Meth Addiction Treatment Is the Solution; Motivating a Loved One to Go to Treatment for Meth Addiction
If you have a loved one who is addicted to meth, you have probably tried preaching, pleading, and nagging. It’s natural to express your worry in a variety of ways. But, these approaches rarely serve as motivators for meth users to enter treatment for meth addiction.
People trapped in a cycle of addiction aren’t concerned with the negative impact of their drug use on their own life, let alone the lives of those around them. Addiction simply isn’t logical and logical appeals won’t work.
Show You Are Empathetic
You are probably frustrated, angry, and exhausted. You don’t want to show empathy to someone who is causing so much difficulty. But, people prefer to make decisions for themselves, so you need to point your loved one in the direction of accepting they need treatment for meth addiction. Try:
- Keeping conversations general
- Ask open-ended questions
- Demonstrate concern
- Walk away before resorting to argument
- Avoid criticism
Encourage Them to Take Responsibility
A meth addict will blame others for their problem; they can’t take the ownership necessary to seek meth addiction treatment. You may even begin to feel like it is your fault. That’s not the case. You can encourage responsibility by refusing to help the addict, but also not hindering them. For example, if the meth addict in your life misses work, refuse to call in and make up and excuse for them. But, if they want to call and explain their absence, don’t prevent it.
Get Some Help
You can’t take sole responsibility for getting the person you love into treatment for meth addiction. Your shame over the situation may be preventing you from reaching out. You may also feel like their might be negative consequences. Don’t let these fears stop you. You don’t have to do this on your own. Enlist help motivating your loved one into meth addiction treatment.