It’s simple to feel the need to protect a loved one from the effects of their addiction when they have a drug problem. This often involves doing things like covering up for the person, taking on their responsibilities, prioritizing their feelings over your own or those of your other family members, rearranging your schedule to make room for their addiction, or giving them financial support when they can’t pay their bills or run into trouble with the law due to their drug use.
Saying ‘no’ is important
Even while it might seem like you’re helping, supporting your loved one will simply enable them keep using, harming their own health and wellbeing in the process. Of course, it can be very difficult to say “no” to someone you care about, especially if that someone is your child. But by shielding the person from some negative effects of their drug use, you frequently take away their incentive to get assistance and change.
Encourage them
It’s frequently vital to keep someone with a drug addiction accountable for their conduct by setting limitations or boundaries for what is and isn’t appropriate behavior in order to better assist them with physical withdrawal symptoms from alcohol. Your loved one will never deal with the repercussions for their behaviors.
Setting limits for a loved one who uses drugs could involve:
- Preventing drug use, drug-related items, and other drug users from entering the house.
- Without taking on any of their neglected responsibilities, lying to get them out of trouble, or covering for them if they miss work or school.
- Requiring them to promptly pay their proportion of the rent and other costs.
- Refusing to provide them with funds to settle debts or pay for legal costs should they be arrested.
- Insisting that they always respect you, even if they’re high.
