PEOPLE - Top 10 Ways to help a Drug Addict

Article by Ojaswini Srivastava

“Addiction is the continued use of a mood altering substance or behavior despite adverse consequences, or a neurological impairment leading to such behavior”. The different types of addiction can be drug abuse, exercise addiction, food addiction, sexual addiction, computer addiction, and gambling.

Some of the common symptoms of an addict are – strong cravings for the substance or practice, loss of control over frequency and amounts of drug or substance usage, preoccupation with the substance or practice, inability to meet obligations to family, job, or other personal interests because of the substance or practice, physical or psychological deterioration due to use of the substance or practice. In the modern times all these addictions have become a common problem of the human society. Out of these, Drug addiction, is the most complex illness. Taking drugs is initially voluntary but after a period of time it becomes unavoidable for a person. A person loses his ability to choose not to take drugs and it becomes a compulsion for him and this is addiction. This behaviour results largely from the effects of prolonged drug exposure on brain functioning. Addiction is a brain disease that affects multiple brain circuits, including those involved in reward and motivation, learning and memory, and inhibitory control over behaviour.
Its treatment is not simple. It varies from person to person. There are many different methods of treating a drug addict that has evolved with time. Alcohol, club drugs, cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, Marijuana are some popular drugs. These are highly addictive and once a person is trapped in its addiction, recovery is very difficult.
Below are the ten ways to cope up with Drug Addiction -

1.Learn about it first

The first step towards helping someone who has an addiction to drugs is to know about it. Today, the technology has grown enough to let us know about everything and anything. There is lot of quality material available on the internet that gives information about drugs. The various forms of drug addictions, its many causes, its cure and side effects, must be first known thoroughly by the person who intends to help an addict. Also, there are many offline sessions, conducted by government organizations, NGOs, and private institutions that help people become aware about this problem and its solutions. Moreover there are newspapers and magazines that give exclusive coverage to the problem. With the help of these myriad sources a person who aims to aid a drug addict should first get acquainted with all the details of this problem.

2. Cause of the addiction

Before any remedy could be taken, it is essential to analyze the reason behind an addict’s addiction. A rough or wrong estimate may not cure him fully or may fail completely. So it is very crucial to ensure the actual cause of addiction, before taking steps to anti addiction. People become addicted to drugs for various reasons varying from heartbreak, aimlessness, loss of property, loss of job, failure of business, family problems, etc. So, to help an addict, one needs to first go to the root of his addiction. And then help him fight over that cause, then sow seeds of a new hopes and a new life in his heart and assist him to lead towards it.

3. Be loving  

An addict needs a lot of emotional support. A healthy guidance from his near and dear ones is highly required.
He should not be made to feel low, but his self esteem should be restored with mutual support of loved ones, family and close friends, and be treated with love. Love and care is one of the best treatments to such a victim. Infact love is a medicine to almost everything. An addict’s loved ones must let him know he is not alone in his struggle and they should be encouraging and supportive all the time.

4. Show how it is affecting their loved ones

An addict must realize that his addiction is not only a threat to him but also to those who are connected to him. This will help him a great deal in recovering. An addict needs a lot of emotional support always. Many times it is emotional reasons that lead a man to become an addict. So, their emotions need to be fed well and controlled. Addicts frequently abuse their family members, lose friends and loved ones, and become alone, that pushes them to further deterioration. It is very necessary to show them how they are being separated from their family due to their habits.

5. Show them options of a better life

An addict must be able to see why he needs to get over his addiction and step into a new world. An addict is too lost to enter a new domain. He must be able to visualize a better life. His loved ones must convincingly be able to introduce him to improved situations. It is very necessary for him to gain a psychological change of attitude. He must comprehend the enhanced prospects of leading a drug free life. Only then can he be persuaded to quit drugs.

6. Aromatherapy

“Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses volatile plant materials, known as essential oils, and other aromatic compounds for the purpose of altering a person’s mind, mood, cognitive function or health”.
There are some essential oils that can be used to heal an addict. These oils are beneficial in changing and relaxing one’s state of mind. Thus, for a drug addict it works in affecting his psychology. Many rehabs centers have started using Aromatherapy these days. A very good quality of this form of treatment is that, it avoids giving any emotional or physical pressure or pain to the victim.

7. A good rehab center

There are many rehabilitation centers that function to cure different forms of addiction. Drug addiction can be cured by getting a patient admitted in a drug rehabilitation center. These institutions provide help to the addicts in various forms of psychotherapeutic treatments, like counselling, behavioural models, emotional stimulation, medication, meditation, etc.

8. Counseling

Counseling is often beneficial in anti addiction cases and has been in practice for a long time for this purpose. There are various counseling sessions organized everywhere regularly. The best and most suitable kind of session should be selected and then the patient be sent for it. Receiving counseling by de-addiction experts, help a lot in coping with the eccentricities of an addict. The experts can provide brilliant ideas to change the lifestyle of an addict. The patient is motivated to gain control of his life again.

9. Counseling and interaction by any ex addict

If an addict can get to know and interact with someone who had previously been an addict and recovered from it and is living a healthy and happy life, that can be very influential for him. An addict can be helped by all those people who have never been into taking drugs, but if he gets the help of someone who has already recovered such a life, he can connect better and be most positively motivated by him.

10. Journeys

Journeys are helpful in many ways. An addict can be alienated from this normal environment and taken away to another place, where his mind can be deviated. Natural habitats, beautiful scenarios can be very soothing and relaxing for him.He can be given a new lifestyle there, with a healthy diet, regular exercise, company of loved ones and planned living with new aims. A trip to some far of place can serve like a rehab centre outside the rehab centre, among family and friends.Thus, with these methods, an addict can be assisted in getting out of his situations, and see new prospects of life. He can be able to recover from his addictive life that blocks his emotional, physical and intellectual development.