5 Steps To Help A Loved One Suffering From Drug Or Alcohol Addiction

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As a diversity consultant, I have recently written several blogs connecting the current COVID-19 pandemic to diversity, and about the recent events in our country. Unfortunately, this disruption to our economy and the social isolation can lead to an increase in drug or alcohol addiction. Please read and share this useful resource on the 5 steps to help a loved one with this issue.

Introduction

Dealing with an alcohol or drug addiction can be difficult. And for people who know of a loved one suffering from substance abuse, it may be just as difficult to know the right ways to deal with the situation. Hesitation, fear, and reluctance — these are just some emotions one may go through when attempting to encourage others to seek professional and medical help regarding their condition.

If you find yourself in these shoes and clueless on what to do, here are some ways you can try to approach the situation first. And if you need rehab options, check out http://recoveryfirst.org/drug-rehab-hollywood-fl/ for all the available treatment plans.

Step 1: Learn about addiction and treatment options.

It is not easy to confront loved ones, especially if you are not knowledgeable on the topic of addiction and its treatment options. Learning and understanding what it means, the factors that result in the condition, and what kind of side effects addiction may have on an individual can be useful when approaching the problem. It also helps us to be practice more empathy as addiction can influence the way one thinks and responds to situations.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is a useful website to research on causes of addiction and how it functions in an individual. It can teach you different ways addiction develops and what kinds of treatment options most effective in aiding recovery. Researching NIDA will help one understand why seeking treatment is so important when it comes to battling addiction.

It is also useful to research the drug or types of drugs being abused by a loved one as different substances have different influences and side effects on an individual. This can help you understand why they respond or behave in certain ways — especially if it’s uncharacteristic of their usual demeanor. Knowing this can also prepare one’s responses during the confrontation.

Understanding the reasons why people consume drugs is only important as there could be other underlying medical conditions present. One may choose to abuse drugs or alcohol due to mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety and in such cases, one’s withdrawal treatment may have to be tweaked to accommodate for such these as well.

Being informed on what kind of treatment options is also important in understanding addiction as this can differ from person to person. Information on medical treatment can usually be found at local health and human services facilities. Depending on the extent of their substance abuse, their probability of relapsing and general health, one form of treatment may be better than the other. It is also worthy to note that the readiness level of the loved one is also a big factor when it comes to being treated. Treatment can be found in the form of inpatient and outpatient care, as well as aftercare and therapy. Some people may also be more open to alternative forms of treatment.

Step 2: Make a plan.

If the act of confronting a loved one seems daunting, it helps to make a detailed plan after learning and researching about addiction. You can choose to gather a group of friends or family to help with the intervention, or even hire a specialist. It is important to prepare for potential objections as well as difficult situations that might arise; having your friends and family conduct their own research about addiction can be useful as well. If you do decide to seek professional help, the Association of Intervention Specialists serves as a platform to find trained professionals to plan the confrontation. Above all, it is always important to express the intent of care and concern and let the loved one know that you have their best interests’ at heart.

Step 3: Learn to control your emotions.

Intervening an addiction can prove to be an emotional task, not only on you but also on the victim. This is because underlying the confrontation may be harbored feelings such as worry, anger, fear — which can bring about conflict if allowed to be expressed carelessly. This can result in the victim becoming closed off about trying treatment or even listening to what you have to say. However, this is not to say that these feelings are wrong because they are normal and justified opinions, especially if the addiction has negatively affected friendships and relationships. It is important to inform the loved one of the impacts of their behavior without pointing fingers. Let them know that you are saying this out of concern with their best interests’ at heart. Self-realization is one of the strongest motivators for loved ones to start on their recovery journey.

Step 4: Learn to practice empathy.

It can be hard to empathize with someone suffering from an addiction if you have never been through one before. And with all that we hear from the media and opinions of society, it is easy to form a personal judgment about the issue. However, when helping a loved one, this judgment is something we want to avoid as much as possible as it can aggravate and worsen their struggles. Judgment can cause loved ones to feel defensive and closed off, but asking questions and genuinely trying to understand their situation can go a long way. Even if you disagree with their decisions, it is important to let them know that you are on their side and am someone they can trust. Providing support may encourage them to listen, open up about their problems, and eventually seek treatment.

Step 5: The quicker the admission to treatment, the better.

There is evidence to show that the quicker one gets admitted to treatment the moment they are ready, the more effective and positive the outcome of the treatment. Hence, it is important to prepare opportunities for treatment even before the confrontation has begun. While researching addiction and treatment options, searching for treatment facilities can also be a worthwhile search. It can also be useful to consult these professionals when seeking advice on a loved one as they can help to determine the type and degree of care that they might need. A plan can also be formulated for their immediate entry into the treatment process as soon as they are ready.

Conclusion

While helping a loved one, it is also important not to neglect your own physical and mental health. If you are struggling to practice self-care or feel drained emotionally with the situation, do seek professional help from organizations or support groups available as they can also help you to identify and process your own emotions. Other forms of help may also be available at local treatment centers.


Trump cancels federal racial sensitivity training – Five reasons why this is so wrong

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Diverse teams outperform those that are not.

NOTE: Links to several of my previous blogs on the subject of race and racism are at the bottom of this short blog.

As a diversity and inclusion consultant, I was in for a Labor Day weekend shock when my colleague Cecilia Orellana-Rojas, the National Diversity Council’s Senior VP of Strategy and Research, texted me a Forbes article that President Trump has now ordered a ceasing of all federal government employee trainings on racial sensitivity. Link to the Forbes article.

In his pronouncement, Trump is calling diversity training divisive and anti-American, particularly referring to efforts to that promote racial understanding in our nation.

Here are my five reasons why this is so horribly wrong.

1) Diversity training is about building unity, not divisiveness. The purpose of diversity training done right is bring diverse people together to understand the value and strengths each unique person brings to an organization. Diversity training promotes understanding people different from you and treating them with respect.

2) Diversity training is ultimately and totally American, not anti-American. The United States has been built upon diverse people coming from all areas of the world and contributing their gifts and talents to building this “great experiment” (as called by several our country’s founders.) The US’s strength comes from being perhaps the most diverse nation on earth.

3) There are past historical wrongs that do need to be addressed. Yes, even as people came from all over the globe to build a new fantastic nation, there are dark stains on our history that need to be recognized. These include the genocide of the Native Americans that were here before the European settlers, the dehumanizing institution of slavery, and the pushing out of, and the stealing of land from, the first Hispanic settlers in the American southwest.

Movement Like “Black Lives Matter” are working to address systemic racism.


4) The current wrongs and issues in our country need to be addressed, not ignored. Sure, slavery was abolished over 150 years ago, but systemic racism and unfair treatment of our Black population is pervasive and documented. To grow as a country, we must come to face to the realities of systemic racism and start to seriously address it.

5) Relevant diversity strategy and training breeds success. This has been proven in the business world; companies and organizations that “get diversity” outperform their non-diverse peers and are more profitable.  See leading consulting group McKinsey’s report “Diversity Wins and How Inclusion Matters.”

Let us all unite to build a better more inclusive diverse nation and world where together we grow stronger and better.

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Links to several of my past related blogs on this topic

Diversity and Inclusion- Does It Divide Us or Unify Us?

In “Facing the Truth – Racism Still Persists in the USA,” I discuss both personal and institutional racism.

This blog summarizes an excellent book providing an excellent long-term historic view of racism in the US: Divided We Stand – Racism in America from Jamestown to Trump – a Book Review.

Trump cancelled approved plans to place African-American woman Harriett Tubman on our $20 bill

And a recent blog about how Trump reversed the plans to place Harriett Tubman on our $20 bill. 

A guest blog by my cousin Brandon who works as a priason social worker; Five Steps to Reduce the Mass Incarceration of African Americans.

Two cool books on race relations from a University of Chicago Graduate.

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Blog author Stan Kimer is a diversity consultant and trainer who handles all areas of workplace diversity and with a deep expertise in LGBTQ+ diversity strategy and training, Unconscious Bias and Employee Resource Groups. Please explore the rest of my website and never hesitate to contact me to discuss diversity training for your organization, or pass my name onto your HR department.  [email protected]