Act As Counsellor
Listening to their problems can be very helpful as the person may not have had the opportunity to express their fears and worries before. Do not judge them for what they are saying, simply listen and prompt wherever you feel it is necessary. Often people who are struggling to cope with everyday anxieties do not often speak of these worries and will keep them to themselves allowing them to grow in intensity.
It is very important to let the addict know that the conversations will stay confidential, and in fact the whole process will remain a secret unless any professionals need to know the information. Having someone they can trust will make a big difference in the success of the withdrawal process. It must be noted however, that addicts DO lie and you must reiterate that this will not be tolerated and that you genuinely do want to help them overcome their problem, but you can’t help if they are going to persist in lying to you.
Discourage lying and deceit and promote an open and honest environment by not being judgmental or shocked by the lives addicts lead.
Try and instill willpower and motivation, reading leaflets and books on this subject may help plan some useful strategies for this.
Lead by Example
Encourage the person to attend meetings or therapy groups and if permitted accompany them to these occasions. This will help build your relationship with the addict and also will provide a greater understanding of their problem.
Go with them to the GP appointments; they may be grateful for this as there is often a lot of information to understand that will be more easily remembered if there are two of you.
If you have an addiction yourself, for example smoking, give up with them; go through the experience together and offer each other support and guidance. This may encourage the addict to really want to keep trying to beat their habit and will also make them feel useful and give them a purpose.
Never try to embarrass them into giving up by ridiculing them in public; this risks ruining your relationship permanently and may even have the reverse effect.
Encourage Health Promotion
If the person is really struggling with their addiction, there are other ways in which you can help. Encourage the use of condoms if sex is the problem; find out where the nearest needle exchange service is and encourage the addict to use it if injecting drugs is the addiction. Whatever you can do to try and encourage a safer environment will be beneficial, not only to themselves but potentially to many others around them.
If the addict has chosen to go through ‘cold turkey’, provide a safe haven for them where they can stay until this period has passed. This can be an extremely difficult and harrowing experience for both the addict and the carer so make sure you are fully aware of the process and make the necessary provisions.
Encourage the addict to keep a journal or reflective log of their experience, this may be useful later on, for possible publication in the future or may be used to help others in group therapies.
Find out about alternative therapies such as hypnotherapy and aromatherapy for helping with stress levels and reducing withdrawal, explore these possibilities with the addict.
Cautions
Remember, addicts do have a tendency to lie so keep reiterating the fact that this will not be tolerated. If their problems are beginning to negatively affect your relationships and life at a level that you feel is unacceptable, talk these issues through with the person, using the help of a counsellor if necessary. Re-evaluate your role in their recovery process and whether it is in your best interests.
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