With millions of people addicted to amphetamines, you probably already know someone who has a problem. You may even find yourself living with an addict. This is an extremely difficult thing to do. It is important to remember that addiction is a disease. The addict cannot help that they are an addict. Although it is hard, it is not impossible to live with an addict. There are a few things that you can do to make it easier on yourself.
1. Practice Good Self Care
This is important when it comes to caring for anyone including an addict. Self care is a good practice regardless of what you are dealing with. Good self care means:
- eating right
- exercising
- get enough rest
- getting help for yourself when you need it
- find a good support network
- keep yourself safe
All of these things seem simple when you are not dealing with an addict but living with someone that has an addiction is extremely stressful and these common things often fall by the wayside.
2. Don’t let them Manipulate you
Don’t blame yourself for the addiction, and don’t believe the addict if they blame you.
Addicts are extremely manipulative. Amphetamine addiction is no different. It is important to learn about and understand manipulative behavior. This way you can counteract it whenever possible. Do not believe the things that the addict tells you, addicts lie. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, lying and manipulative behaviors are hallmarks of addiction.
3. Don’t Blame Yourself
Self blame is usually the first thing that people do when they start living with an addict. You start to believe that if you were different or better, the addict would stop using. Most people who are around addicts place blame on themselves at some point.
4. Don’t Let them Blame you
When high, the addict might try to blame you for their addiction, this is classic addict behavior. Despite their insistence that the addiction is your fault, you need to understand that it is not. No matter what they say or do, you are not in control of their actions.
5. Remember you Cannot Fix the Addict
Many people get into relationships with addicts because they want to fix what is broken. You cannot fix an addict. The only person who can fix an addict is the addict themselves. They have to change in order to stop the addiction. You can only help them with encouragement and by being there when they need you.
6. Talk to them about Getting Help When they are Sober
According to the Mayo Clinic, you should encourage the person to get treatment. Talking to them while they are sober is the best way to do so. You can schedule an intervention or a counseling session to help them find treatment. These things will help them to choose recovery.
If you need help with intervention strategies or you want to find addiction treatment call 800-816-1059(Who Answers?). We can find the treatment that your loved one needs.
