Beat Drug Addiction

By Ned Wicker

One of the most common questions we receive is about how somebody can help a spouse, a child or someone they love who is addicted. The first thing that comes to mind, in general, is that in order to help someone else, we first have to be equipped ourselves to be of help. That’s why groups like Al-Anon/Alateen are important.

Yes, there are other groups out there that do good work, but I want to focus on these because of their outstanding track record in providing meaningful support for people.

If you love someone who is addicted, you are certainly not alone. But people often feel isolated, as if they alone have to carry the burden of being the “strong one.” The truth is there are people out there who share your burden, and whose experiences are helpful in learning about what to do in most any given situation.

Have you ever spoken to somebody who just listened, who offered a sympathetic ear just to hear you out and share your pain?

There’s a therapeutic aspect to sharing your story, but when you can get solid advice and counsel, and know that you can call on somebody to help, that brings an entirely different dimension to the relationship.

Al-Anon usually has a white pages listing, but you can call 1-888-4al-anon (1-888-425-2666) in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Seeking help from Al-Anon should be a family project. The following quote comes from an article on the web site and clearly explains why it is important for everyone in the family to be involved. “Alcoholism is a family disease. While it is important for the family to support the alcoholic's recovery, it is also important for members of the family to get involved in their own recovery.

Family recovery decreases the chances that the children of alcoholics will repeat the pattern and engage in unhealthy relationships,” said Robert J. Ackerman, Ph.D., co-founder of the National Association for Children of Alcoholics and director of the Mid-Atlantic Addiction Training Institute at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Sadly, so many people do not receive the support they need, and their approach to the addiction issue is one of merely reacting to the behaviors of the one they love, with no real strategy or game plan in effect.

The idea is to be in “execution mode” and not “react mode” when situations arise, and to do that you need training and a team of people to help. There are millions of questions on what to do, how to do it and when to do it.

While the center of the attention is on the addict, Al-Anon helps people understand their own reactions, fears and emotional struggles. People can get caught up in playing the role of enabler and feel helpless in their circumstances, but imagine being able to go from helpless to hopeful as you immerse yourself in a plan.

You don’t have to sit back and watch everything happen, you can be a part of the solution and be in the game. Al-Anon/Alateen takes spectators and makes them players. Whatever path you take, just know that there are answers and hope for you.

For more about Beat Drug Addiction visit our home page.

HOW TO USE THIS SITE:

SYMPTOMS…

CAUSES…

EFFECTS…

TREATMENT…

Read these five pages and learn what you need to know to spot Addiction to Drugs in:

Yourself... Your Family... Your Friends... Your Community...

The rest of the pages are there for your reference to explain important topics in more detail.

Finally don’t miss the Spiritual and 12-step sections to fully explore how understanding THE SPIRIT can lead to recovery!