Understanding Your Loved One’s Addiction

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Loving someone with a St. Petersburg opiate addiction is challenging, as you must already know. You may have started to experience feelings of worry, anxiety and depression, and the best way to alleviate them would be to end your relative’s addiction. Unfortunately, you can’t force your loved one to enter a drug treatment program, but you can learn how to cope with the addiction while your friend or relative is struggling with opiates.

Educate Yourself

The first thing you must do is become educated about opiate addiction. In the process, you will learn what it is like to be addicted to drugs, and your loved one’s behavior will not be as unpredictable. This will make it easier for you to decide what your next step will be in steering your friend or relative toward treatment.

Develop a Thick Skin

People addicted to opiates may do things that offend you. For example, in order to purchase more drugs, your family member may steal money from your wallet or take something from your home that he can sell. These are very painful actions, but you must remember that your loved one has a problem that he or she cannot control. In these difficult moments, remember that this person you love didn’t do these things when he was healthy.

The above-listed suggestions are just two of many. You will learn even more when you join a support group or a program for friends and family members of those addicted to opiates. Visit us online to learn more about our treatment programs!