It’s not easy living with someone with addiction. However, talking about this to someone who hasn’t gone through the ordeal can be hard as well. There is always that social stigma and misunderstanding about drug addiction, how it develops, how it can be treated, and the family’s role in all this.
Below are 24 things that people may not understand about those who have family members or loved ones living with an addict.
1. Watching someone you love go through a life engulfed by addiction is extremely hard.
2. Some of us have already begun the grieving process for someone who is still alive.
3. Watching someone we love slowly self-destruct makes us sad, angry, hurt, resentful, ashamed, and even hopeless.
4. There are many times when we wonder if it’s out fault and if we should have seen this coming.
5. Is there something we could have done differently to prevent this?
6. We often find ourselves taking on roles we never thought we would, do things we never thought we could.
7. Some of us end up parenting our own parents, or treating our partners, friends, or siblings as our children.
8. It’s easy to judge us for not being hard or strict enough on them, not giving them ultimatums, tolerating them–but reality is, we have done EVERYTHING we can ever think of.
9. Experts say that enabling them is one of the worst things we could do to them.
10. They say tough love is key, responsible love and care.
11. Breaking their fall as they spiral downwards, giving them money, bailing them out of jail…all these can just further their addiction.
12. But to see our loved one suffer…it can be hard to say “No.”
13. We were told to cut them off and allow them to hit their rock bottom is the best help we can give them.
14. They may be addicted, but once they were the people we love with all our hearts–and we still love them.
15. And it’s always hard to let them go.
16. Because we love them, and we want to protect them…even from themselves.
17. We can’t afford fancy rehabs, we just hang on to the hope that there is always help.
18. …hopefully, before it is too late.
19. We just have to give them all the support as they undergo rehabilitation and recovery.
20. We have to stop enabling and start empowering.
21. Many have succeeded, and many are still on the road to recovery. They can do it.
If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol or drug addiction, you can find out more information about the best treatment option for them by calling (02) 622-0193 or texting 0917-509-8826. Make the choice now before it’s too late.
[…] of the disease of addiction, and not a lack of free will or the result of loose morals. Once we open our minds to this, we can see the addict as a struggling person instead of a bad […]
I am so going to share that with my “peeps” … thank you for this post!
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With thanks! Valuable information!