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When you find out someone you love has a drug addiction or is in rehab, a common feeling is hopelessness over how to help them; knowing how to help someone with a drug addiction can feel like a daunting, impossible task.

The difficult reality of rehab and addiction is that recovery is usually a long, complicated, and often non-linear journey. However, with the support of a loved one, it can be easier for the person you care about to begin their journey and see it through to the joy of long-term recovery.

There are plenty of things you can do to provide the most help, and a few things to avoid to offer the best chance of recovery. Since 2016, our certified addiction therapists and counselors have helped countless people and their families overcome the disease of addiction and rebuild relationships. They’ve offered their expertise on the best ways to support someone you love battling addiction.

By following this advice, we hope that you’ll feel more confident, comfortable, and prepared when helping your loved one win the fight against their addiction.

How to Help Someone with a Drug Addiction in 9 Ways

For an individual struggling with a substance use disorder, deciding to get help is not always easy. However, studies have shown that the additional love and support of someone close to the individual with SUD leads to a much higher chance of recovery.

While each situation of addiction has its own unique set of circumstances, there are some general tips as to the best way to help someone and offer addiction support.

1. Educating yourself on addiction as a disease.

2. Communicating your concerns and support effectively.

3. Establishing healthy boundaries.

4. Celebrating all types of progress.

5. Maintaining a positive mindset.

6. Keeping their uniqueness in perspective.

7. Taking care of yourself.

8. Leading by example.

9. Getting professional help.

Let’s explore these in more detail.

1. Educate Yourself on Addiction as a Disease, Not a Choice

When you’re inexperienced with drug addiction, it can be easy to base assumptions on what you see on TV, stereotypes, and other negative presumptions. This can mean assuming your loved one is just lacking willpower or creating this specific type of person in your mind about them.

However, the truth is that addiction is a brain disease, not a choice, and it’s backed by years of science. That’s why it’s important that you educate yourself on the signs of addiction, types of therapies, and different rehab centers. You won’t become an expert right away, but simply putting in the time to educate yourself will be beneficial to both you and the individual with addiction.

By educating yourself on the addiction itself as well as the symptoms and causes, you’ll be better equipped to understand the disease and react with compassion. You’ll also be more in tune with what they are going through and better equipped to speak with them about their experience.

2. Communicate Your Concerns & Support Effectively

The person you care about won’t know that you’re concerned or think they have a problem unless you tell them. What you identify as a problem might not seem like a big deal to them, and that’s a part of the power of addiction. However, they need to be the ones to decide that they need to change, but you can help them understand how their addiction is hurting you and those around them.

Keep in mind, too, that you can’t force them into rehab, but you can communicate that you’re along for the ride as support.

3. Establish Healthy Boundaries

Creating boundaries is crucial when dealing with someone in the grips of addiction. It can be easy to feel responsible for keeping them clean and safe, but that’s not your job, and it’s not your duty to overextend yourself for their sake. If you want to help someone, your job is to provide appropriate, loving support. Don’t put more effort into their recovery than they are willing to put in for themselves.

We know that figuring out how to set boundaries with someone with an addiction can also feel challenging, especially when you want to avoid enabling. We recommend starting small at first, like declining to drive them to questionable locations, not picking them up from their DUI, or excluding them from family celebrations unless they’re sober. The key is to convey these clearly and approach them from a place of love.

4. Celebrate All Progress & Milestones

Recovery is a non-linear and slow-moving process. There won’t be any overnight cures or fast-tracks to sobriety; instead, there will be small, gradual changes, and these changes can get overlooked when full recovery is the goal.

An important part of how to overcome addiction is to celebrate all milestones or steps toward progress, no matter how small. These could be 1 week sober, saying “no” to something, or apologizing to someone they’ve hurt. No matter the size, any progress is worth celebrating in addiction recovery, so celebrate with them.

5. Maintain a Positive Mindset, Even in the Face of Relapse

An unfortunate reality of addiction is that most people have 3-5 “quit attempts” (or relapses) before achieving recovery. Relapse happens, triggers are inescapable, and slip-ups can occur. But remember that recovery is a full change in lifestyle and behaviors for your loved one, so it’s essential to be compassionate and understanding if they relapse.

Use supportive communication to explore what led to the slip-up, remind them of their progress, and figure out how to avoid it in the future by knowing the warning signs of relapse. You don’t want your loved one to slide back, so encourage them to see how far they’ve come already.

6. Keep Their Uniqueness in Perspective

No two addictions are alike; each person is different, and there’s no “one-size-fits-all” or “cure” for addiction. Keeping this in perspective is an important part of how to support someone with an addiction, as you may scramble to find the “right” treatment type.

What you may see on TV isn’t reality, and what you hear from one person might not work for your loved one. It’s essential to keep their addiction type and uniqueness in mind to effectively support them.

 7. Take Care of Yourself & Your Health

It can be easy to feel devoted to helping someone get out of drug addiction, but you need to take care of yourself first. If you’re not taking proper care of yourself, you won’t be able to help someone else. That means getting good sleep, exercising, eating well, and even seeking mental health counseling or support groups for friends and family. We recommend exploring how to take care of yourself in our article, “Practicing Self-Care in Addiction Support,” for strategies, tips, and resources.

8. Lead by Example

Often, people who suffer from substance abuse are involved in social circles that include other people with the same addiction and those who may encourage negative behaviors. This is why it’s important to lead by example and be that encouraging, positive force in their life. By remaining present in their life and serving as a healthy, happy, and drug-free example, they may be able to see that life doesn’t have to be this way and that there are alternatives.

9. Get Your Loved One Professional Help

While it is ultimately their decision, you should encourage your loved one to seek professional help at a certified addiction center. You may be met with excuses or total denial, but remain loving, and don’t make them feel ashamed or guilty for their addiction. At Master Center, we accept walk-ins and offer same-day appointments, so someone you know can get help as soon as today. Schedule a call with us for a consultation.

5 Things to Avoid When Helping Someone with an Addiction

Just as certain things can help someone’s recovery, some things can hinder progress or trigger a relapse. When you are speaking with and supporting your loved one through addiction treatment, try to avoid the following:

1. Preaching or lecturing: Do not try to moralize your loved one or speak from a pedestal about what they should do. Instead, offer encouragement and loving but firm suggestions.

2. Making excuses for toxic behavior: It’s common for someone experiencing addiction to create excuses to justify their behavior. You mustn’t accept these excuses; addiction is a disease that requires medical attention.

3. Enabling problematic behavior: Hiding the problem from or giving your loved one money to appease them will only hurt them more. We recommend avoiding one-sided financial enablement or doing tasks that they can (and should) be doing themselves.

4. Arguing when they’re inebriated: When someone is using drugs or alcohol, they won’t be thinking or speaking rationally. Don’t waste your time arguing during drug use, as your voice is much less likely to be heard and taken seriously.

5. Feeling guilty about yourself: Don’t feel guilty for any setbacks or lack of progress. It’s not your addiction to face. However, you should prepare yourself to buckle in for the whole ride, no matter how long it takes.

Remember to Remain Patient, Compassionate, & Understanding

Finding out how to support someone with an addiction evokes feelings of worry, but the best thing you can do is to remain patient and encouraging. Remember, too, that it’s a delicate balance of not only encouragement and love but also boundaries and persistence. You should expect some resistance or push back, but it’s crucial not to give up on your loved one.

While supporting someone through substance abuse is no easy task, it’s a crucial part of the process and can increase their ability to recover. Your efforts are never in vain, so follow some of these guidelines and take back control of your life.

You can also get more information and resources on addiction with our Family & Friends Program, created specifically for loved ones of someone with an addiction. We offer a wide array of services for your support, including a free database of resources, group therapy, a free downloadable e-book, and more. Explore the Family & Friends Program today to get the tools to reclaim your life from addiction.

About Master Center

Master Center is a groundbreaking addiction treatment program headquartered in Glen Allen, Va. Based on a vision of comprehensive outpatient care, Master Center was launched in 2016 and now includes locations throughout the Commonwealth.

Master Center offers a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach rarely seen in the outpatient setting, staffed by experienced addiction physicians, psychiatrists, counselors, therapists, and peer recovery coaches.