For families who have a person in their family who has a problem with drugs or alcohol, it can be challenging and overwhelming. It is important to know the symptoms or signs that a loved one needs rehab.
Symptoms and signs that a loved one needs help
Tolerance is one sign that a loved one needs help. He or she needs more prescription pain medication or alcohol than normal.
• For instance, you may notice that they are having a prescription filled more often or buying more beer than usual.
• Another sign is that their behavior is becoming more deceptive.
• They are hiding medication or alcohol.
Other signs and symptoms
In addition, a person addicted to drugs or alcohol will begin to look tired and haggard, often wearing clothes that are disheveled or if it is a woman, she may wear more makeup, trying to hide her appearance. Most importantly, those who are addicted on drugs or alcohol will often forget what they said or did.
Clumsy or risky behavior and moodiness
In most cases, as the need for drugs becomes stronger, their behavior become more risky and they experience various accidents and injuries.
• Or, they end up with a DUI.
• As a person goes deeper into addiction, he or she doesn’t care about their physical health and that often leads to bruises or injuries they can’t explain.
• Perhaps one of the most tell-tale signs of a person going deeper into drugs is their moody and unpredictable behavior.
One clear sign that a person is getting deep into drugs is that he or she is changing from being a responsible person to just wanting to get by. They are sleeping too much and having little desire to do what they normally do. They are calling in sick to work often and later ending work altogether.
As the need for drug becomes all-consuming, they start to isolate, wanting to be alone. Most importantly, their mental health is much worse.
Types of treatment
Choosing the right drug or alcohol treatment program is an individual and personal choice. There are; however, several types of treatment programs that are effective such as residential treatment; treatment that is given away from school, work and family. Another type of treatment is outpatient treatment.
Outpatient treatment is treatment that is given at a treatment center where you are treated at a facility during the day but you don’t stay overnight. Another type of treatment is day treatment and partial hospitalization.
Tips for helping a friend or loved one with an addiction
Helping someone who has an addiction can be challenging, to say the least.
• However, there are a few tips that will help should you want to help someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol.
• First, educate yourself on addiction and how and why a person becomes addicted.
• Then, get support.
• There are several groups that can help; Al-Anon for alcohol and Nar-Anon for drug addiction.
• Talk with your doctor to see if you can get a reference for mental health counseling.
To conclude, during the addiction treatment process it is important to have realistic expectations. Be careful not to lecture to your friend or loved one. However, hold them accountable and offer help and guidance toward drug and alcohol treatment. And, throughout the process, take good care of yourself. Click here for more information.
