When we look at addiction, many people have a tendency to assume the worst in those struggling with substance abuse. However, you rarely understand what is truly going on in the mind of someone addicted to drugs or alcohol. Often times, individuals addicted to drugs and alcohol don’t feel fully comfortable voicing certain feelings and can even be ashamed of their actions to the point of allowing you to assume things about them.

In order to best help your loved one and help them beat addiction and heal, you should be aware of a few things those struggling with substance abuse want you to know.

Anyone can fall victim to addiction.

Don’t stereotype in whom you think could fall victim to the crippling effects of drug or alcohol addiction. Anyone, of any age, from any walk of life, can find themselves struggling with substance abuse. By accepting that, you can help that person heal.

Addiction can be about more than getting high.

Many adults who find themselves addicted to drugs or alcohol turn to those substances in the first place to cope with deeper physical, emotional, or mental issues. It’s not always that a person wants to feel high. It could be that they want to feel better but don’t know how to other than using.

A person is not their disease.

If you remove the addiction, the person is still the same human being with the same interests and hobbies that you love. While addiction has the ability to take over a person’s life, it is not all that that person is.

Don’t harp on their addiction.

Adults work very hard to recover from addiction and maintain their sobriety. While it can be beneficial to help them avoid temptation at times, you shouldn’t make a big fuss any time they are near drugs or alcohol.

You should also try not to bring up their past. Your loved one is focusing on the present moment, one day at a time, after closing a darker chapter of their lives. Don’t be the one to dredge up old mistakes and painful memories unnecessarily.

At Silver Ridge, we view the body as a whole entity and provide adults with a holistic treatment program. Holistic treatment emphasizes that it is not the substance itself that causes abuse and addiction, but the stresses of everyday life that push someone to seek extreme coping mechanisms. Treating addiction is important, but healing the person is critical.

Contact us today to get the help you need.