Addiction: It is a Disease - Not a Disgrace

[ibestof]

Without treatment, the disease of addiction progresses.

Some Do's and Don'ts of Intervention:

Do
- Act from true concern or love for the addicted person.
- Explain that the addicted person's drinking/drug addiction problems stem from an illness.
- Avoid hatred, hostility, condemnation, lecturing or moralizing. You are there to help.
- Talk about the methods of treatment available for the disease.
- Allow the addicted person to feel the full weight of the consequences of his or her behavior.
- Offer limited choices for the addicted person to consider, such as, to get help to retain a work position and a role in the family, or do nothing and possibly lose a job and live alone.
- Prepare to act upon the addicted person's decision to seek help. Admission arrangements at a treatment facility should be made in advance. Remove the excuses for not acting now by making provisions for transportation, childcare and pet care.
- Prepare to act upon the addicted person's decision not to seek help. The confrontation must not be perceived as a "cry wolf" exercise that will blow over in a few hours.
- Express hope that recovery from alcoholism/drug addiction is possible. Hundreds of thousands of problem drinkers/drug users have already done so.

Don't:
- Grow emotional and hostile about your own hurts. You may document your hurts, but maintain your focus upon the factual effects of the addicted person's behavior.
- Digress into possible reasons why the addicted person drinks/uses drugs or why so often. To seek such explanation is a futile exercise. It is enough to establish and accept the fact that addiction has become a problem.
- Accept further hollow promises from the addicted person, no matter how sincere or tearful. Haven't you been along this road before? The commitment must be to accept immediate treatment.
- Judge. The key here is to document. The events given should show only that there is cause for genuine and deep concern.

[elsphit]

Drug Addiction is not a Disease, its a Disgrace. Human is the Responsible of having Drug Addiction. I don't know what are the reason's why they keep on using Drugs, maybe they have many Problems and they what to forget them. But Drugs is not the Solution, facing the problem is the solution. You can't win if you will not face it.
______________________________________

ruEL

This is a comprehensive addiction portal focusing on topics of alcohol and drug abuse. http://www.alcoholaddiction.org

[annemary100]

thanks for sharing