Addiction-related deaths skyrocketed after opioid distributors flooded communities with toxic pills and lies. They convinced desperate communities that they were there to help, and instead, they poisoned them. Now, people everywhere are struggling with several kinds of addiction, and they’re fighting to get back on their feet.
Yet, fighting addiction is one of the hardest struggles anyone can go through. It involves exploring intimate, personal causes behind addiction. To help someone through addiction, you need to convince them that you won’t abandon them as they work to get better.
And as that fight goes on, it can get harder to believe that it’s worth it. Some people end up believing that a person who is addicted to something may never change. Yet, that simply isn’t true.
Addiction hurts, and people who are addicted to something want nothing more than to get better. It’s up to everyone around them to help them through it and to help them through it. And to learn how to help someone who is addicted to something, and how to help fight addiction as a whole, keep reading below!
1. Fighting Addiction Will Leave Scars Like Any Other Battle
All fights leave scars, and some are more visible than others. In physical fights, it’s easy to see where someone may have gotten hurt, and the mark it left on them is clear. Fighting addiction can result in physical fights against other addicts or dealers, but for the most part, people who are addicted to something fight internally.
Yet, those fights still leave scars and it can seem like too much for the people around them to deal with. It’s easy to look beyond the scars on a person’s body, but the scars on a person’s mind are a different kind of issue. They cause addicted people to doubt their own thoughts – a clear mind becomes impossible.
They may begin to believe that the people around them mean harm, or that life simply isn’t worth living. Not everyone knows how to handle this kind of mental harm, but it’s simple. All you need to do is be there for them through it, no matter how much they may say they want you to leave.
If you know someone is addicted, it’s your job to remain in their lives no matter what. And eventually, they will recover.
Some Fights Take More Out of People Than Others
Not all mental scars are the same, and they can affect people in dramatically different ways. Some may end up depressed and lethargic, unable to so much as leave their room or go to their jobs. For others, the effects can be much worse.
Self-harm is a real possibility when it comes to dealing with addiction, and it’s something everyone should be aware of. Watch for new physical scars on a person’s arms, neck, or face. And if they seem unwilling to explain where they come from, they may have originated from the person themselves.
If this happens, you must take steps to protect the person from themselves. Remove any weapons they could use from their home, and keep a closer eye on them. If you think it’s necessary, call a professional and ask for advice.
2. Determination and Discipline Are Crucial
Fighting addiction is just like any other fight; getting through it takes strength. The temptation to use drugs is just too intense, and giving into it may not seem too bad at all. Yet, that’s why fighting addiction is so hard – it’s a process of fundamentally changing a person’s life.
They’ve grown accustomed to using drugs, and getting better may not seem possible to them because they may doubt they’re actually sick. To them, it can seem stupid to stop using drugs since it’s all they know. It takes determination and blind faith for them to stay off drugs, and for some people, it takes discipline.
Do whatever you must to keep someone from using drugs, whether it involves discipline or deep conversations. The temptation is always there, and it’s your job to help make sure they don’t listen to it.
3. Create a (Reasonable) Reason to Get Clean
One of the most important things to have when fighting addiction is a reason to do it. Ask any former addict about why they changed their behavior, and they will always give a clear and specific answer. For some, their family may be the reason they changed, while for others it may be for religious reasons or even simple financial ones.
The actual reason doesn’t matter, as long as there is a reason to get clean. Without one, people will inevitably fall off the wagon and start using drugs again. People always have a reason to use drugs, and so the reason to avoid them must matter more.
Yet, it’s also important to make sure the reason to stop using drugs is actually attainable. Determination is created when people see their progress, and when it comes to fighting addiction, progress comes in intangible forms. It may come as healthier relationships, professional success, or anything else.
Make sure people see how far they’ve come throughout their journey. Otherwise, they may begin to believe it’s pointless to try and recover.
4. Nobody Does It Alone – Get Help
Addiction is one of the most isolating and terrifying experiences anyone can go through. It makes a person feel simultaneously trapped and isolated, leaving them confused and afraid. Since opiates are so addictive, they are especially powerful at inspiring desperation in people.
That’s why opiate addiction help is so important. When someone gets help for their recovery, no matter what form it comes in, they stand a better chance of succeeding. It means they’ll have people around them as proof that they aren’t actually alone, no matter what the drugs tell them.
The people around a person struggling with addiction act like reinforcements in their fight. When things seem desperate and hopeless, those people can help keep them going.
Fighting Addiction is a Worthwhile Struggle
There aren’t many kinds of fights that more worthwhile than fighting addiction. If you’re struggling with addiction, it’s worth it to sacrifice drugs in exchange for a happier, healthier life. And if you looking for ways to help others fight addiction, all you need to do is keep doing what you’re doing.
As long as addicted people have someone in their lives to keep them focused, they will recover. And while it may be a fight for everyone involved, it’s always worth it in the end.
For advice on how to persevere through addiction and work towards recovery, keep reading here!
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