Posted by Tony Bylsma on March 13, 2011 under How to Help a Drug Addict | 
Reason one: The Drug Abuser Is Now in a New Group
Who don’t drug addicts listen? Druggies tend to pay most attention to the thoughts and feelings of their drugged peer group. As a young (new) drug abuser works to fit into his or her new group, they are learning how to behave all over again. There are conflicts with the new beliefs and codes of conduct of the new group and the ways of the existing group, i.e. the family. What is expected of them in the new group is in complete opposition to the expectations of the existing group.
Some new drug users solve this dilemma by donning two personalities, one for the family and one for the druggie group. Keeping these two avatars separate can be a real juggling act, especially when it involves significant changes in appearance.
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Posted by Tony Bylsma on February 23, 2011 under How to Help a Drug Addict |
To help a drug addict, any addiction counselor can tell you, the first hurdle is to get the addict’s agreement to receive help. No amounts of advice or friendly mannerisms are going to make a difference if there is no willingness to quit drugs.
This can be difficult; it often is, but definitely not hopeless. This is called intervention and can be the most difficult part of their recovery from addiction. The good news is this, there are things you can do or say to bring them to the realization that help is needed. Here are some very important points to keep in mind:
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Posted by Tony Bylsma on February 6, 2011 under How to Help a Drug Addict |
There are always options, for any situation. Many situations have very few ways to go and some situations offer more choices. Finding the right solution to a problem such as drug addiction can mean life or death for the addict, so listing the choices and examining them is vital.
Here is a list of the most common paths an addict might take in an attempt to reach sobriety:
1. Try to stop using without help
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Posted by Tony Bylsma on February 1, 2011 under How to Help a Drug Addict |
If you have an addicted son or and addicted daughter, you know that drug abuse has as one of its component parts a lowering of awareness. They are not aware of the changes drugs are creating in them. Everyone else sees these changes, but the drug abuser seldom can. So approaching them with the intention of helping them stop using drugs is tricky. Here are a few points to keep in mind:
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Posted by Tony Bylsma on January 25, 2011 under How to Help a Drug Addict |
My pleasure to post an article from the blog, Sobering Thoughts, By Sigal Adini
At some point along his life the drug addict lost his most valuable possession, that one thing he or she cannot live without: his self-respect.
His self-respect, his ability to love and trust himself has diminished to such a degree that he is now doing things he swore to himself he would NEVER do: shooting up with needles, stealing from family and friends, selling drugs, selling sex, and so on.
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