What To Do If You Think Your Partner Has A Drug Problem
If you’re worried about your partner using drugs, you are most probably feeling incredibly stressed out and confused. You may not feel like talking to anyone about it because you don’t want to harm your partner’s reputation, so you may be dealing with things on your own. Don’t be afraid to talk to a trusted friend or relative, as sometimes talking can really help.
It might be hard to deal with your partner’s addiction, but don’t make the mistake of turning a blind eye, as things will only get worse. If you want to help them, you need to talk to them about their drug use and convince them to seek professional help.
It’s important to understand that your partner’s drug addiction isn’t your fault. And although you want to help them recover, it’s important to realise that ultimately, it’s not your problem. If they are to get better, they need to want it for themselves.
To help you deal with your partner’s addiction and convince them to seek help, here are a few tips that may be useful.
Do your research
If you don’t know much about drug addiction, spend some time researching it. To be able to talk to your partner about their problem, you need to have as much knowledge as possible. If you’re armed with lots of info, you’ll find talking to them much easier.
One area to focus on is the causes of drug addiction. Understanding these will help you to decipher what the cause is of your partner’s addiction. Some people take drugs simply for pleasure, others to dull the pain of a bad experience.
Talk to them
Choose a time when the house is quiet, and it’s just the two of you so that you can talk without any distractions. Be kind and calm with them and share your concerns. Aim to be non-confrontational, instead, take a caring approach.
Don’t say things like, “You’re a drug addict, and you need help”. Don’t give them any reason to be defensive, as this will only make things worse. Instead, say, “I think you may have an issue with drugs” – this is non-confrontational. It might be hard to get through to them, but take your time and refer to specific experiences you’ve had with them.
Never make excuses
Whatever they say the reason for their drug use is, such as the death of a loved one or pressure at work, don’t make excuses for them. We all get stressed out or upset at times, but we don’t all turn to drugs, do we? Drug addiction is a disease; it’s not the person’s fault. However, if you make excuses for them, you may give them the idea that you will tolerate drug abuse.
You can’t help them all by yourself
Despite how hard you try, you can’t cure an addict yourself. It might be hard to hear, but to get any better, your partner needs professional addiction treatment. Many people think that the only way to treat addiction is with a stint in rehab, but that’s not the case.
Thanks to advancements in drugs treatments, many addicts can be treated as outpatients. This enables them to keep their lives as normal as possible, and can often make recovery easier. You can find out more about outpatient care by searching online.
It might be hard dealing with your partner’s drug addiction, but you can help them to get passed it. Take note of these tips, and you can make things a little easier to deal with.
