If you have a friend or family member that you care about who has substance abuse or addiction problems what can you do to help? One of the hardest things to accept is the destructive behavior of someone that you care about, and your first instinct is to try to help. The truth is that you are not responsible for the actions of your loved one, and you can not force them to stop using even though you want to. There are ways that you can help someone with substance abuse or addiction issues though, and it is important to keep yourself healthy and avoid enabling the user at the same time. Substance abuse or addiction can be treated and an intervention may help, but it is also important that you understand what you have control over and what you can not control.
When you love someone who needs treatment for substance abuse or addiction you want to help them, and these individuals can turn into master manipulators in order to get their fix. Your loved one may try to use guilt to get money or become angry if they ask for something and you say no. You may find that you go out of your way to avoid upsetting the person with substance abuse or addiction issues, or that you are constantly giving in to avoid an argument. Attending meetings for family members of people with substance abuse or addiction can help you understand the best ways to deal with the problem and help you learn how to stop enabling the user.
