Concern the Addict for Family

1. Calmly confront the addict and ask him or her to stop using drugs and to get into treatment. In this situation, we need to convince the addict that we can understand his or her condition and therefore are willing to help. Try to have a heart-to-heart communication with the addict. Talk gently and listen emphatically in the hope that the addict will trust us to open up his or her problems. Be prepared for defenses we'll face. Here are the things to remember : 
   • Don't lose your temper. Don't arque.
   • Express positive feelings for the addict and negative feelings about the drug use.
   • Be specific with evidence.
   • Don't accept promises to "stop on my own"
   • When one person falters, another should step in.
   • Don't back out. Don't give up.
2. Learn about the disease and involve ourselves in the treatment procedure.
   The closer we are to the addict, the deeper we'll be influenced by his or her addiction. And, in turn, our response will influence the addict's recovery, either positively or negatively. So, it's extremely important to know all about the disease in order to gain ideas about how to facilitate recovery in the right ways.
   We can do this, for example, by reading books or magazines, attending seminars or workshops, consulting experts ( psychologists, psychiatrists, or counsellors).
3. Identify our ineffective behaviors.
   Our ineffective behaviors may inhibit the addict in learning to be responsible for his or her actions and also damage our relationship with the addict, as well as drive ourselves crazy in the process.
   These ineffective behaviors include:
   • Protecting the addict from potential crises associated with drug use, such as taking care of him or her physically or bailing him or her out of legal or financial problems.
   • Manipulating or controlling situation to please the addict for the purpose of making him or her forget the drugs such as by providing facilities or other support so that he or she doesn't have to shoulder the normal responsibilities of adulthood.
   • Nagging, blaming, reprimanding, or picking useless arguments about drug use.
   • Thoroughly controlling and continuously watching the addict's behaviors.
   • Punishing the addict for drug use rather than addressing the underlying issue of addiction.

Addiction Recovery

     We're going to talk about how to deal with drug addiction, either our own addiction or our loved one's.

What to Do When Addiction Occurs
For The Addict

1. Stop taking drugs (including drinking and smoking)
   The first step is to get off any kind of drugs to cleanse the brain and body of toxic chemicals, and to break the cycle of intoxication and withdrawal.
   In some cases, we may need to do this under a physician's supervision.
2. Learn about the disease caused by our addiction.
   We need to have, for example, information about characteristics and symptoms of drug addiction, kinds of abused drugs as well as the effects and the problems they bring, what to do to successfully avoid repeated drug use, what it takes to fully recover, etc. We are the only ones who have to become experts in the treatment of addiction. Who could possibly benefit more than ourselves?

Effects of Drug Addiction

Using drugs forces us to face its menacing risks and consequences. Lets we see the effects of drug addiction:

1. Risk to our personal safety.
   If we take drugs, there's a risk we could die of overdose or poisoning because many drugs are lethal, especially if they're mixed together. Crossing a road, driving a car or using any machine while on drugs can cause an accident which is harmful not only to ourselves but also to other people.
    
2. Damage to our health, both physical and psychological.
   A long-term abuse of drugs can cause significant physical and psychological problems such as brain damage, liver failure, lung disease, abnormal sleep patterns, loss of appetite, weight loss, digestive problems, sexual dysfunction, anxiety, depression, paranoia, hallucinations, or suicidal thinking. These problems also include the risk of infection or contagious diseases, such as AIDS or hepatitis, due to the use of contaminated needles.
   
3. Decreased thinking ability.
   A long-term abuse of drugs can lead to a loss of interest in activities normally pleasurable, memory deficits, and difficulties in completing intellectual tasks as well as linking information in coherent patterns.
   
4. Destructive behavior.
   Under the influence of drugs or during the experience of drug withdrawal, we may become extremely irritable and have very little impulse control. So, we can easily engage in aggresive, assaultive or bizarre behaviors.
   
5.  Legal Consequences.
   Possession of many drugs is illegal. Supplying them to others or giving drugs to a friend is against the law. Also, if we are abusing any drug, we are more likely to break the law in other ways, such as theft or vandalism.