We have all heard that drugs destroy families and it’s true. Although the one who debuts with the disease is the addict, it must be borne in mind that suffering is not only caused by him. Drug addiction is a disease that chains everyone around. There are many phases in treatment where the family members of the addict are also important. Initially, the feeling of guilt appears. Later, like any disease, the hard process of accepting it begins, a process to understand what it consists of, how it manifests itself, and what they can do to fight it.
The Disease
The disease of addiction has a first cousin that always goes hand in hand and those are the lies. Because of this, when patients begin their treatment with their family members, trust is greatly impaired. It had been long years of dealing with both, of trusting each of the times that the family member promised that this life of addiction was going to end and that it was not like that. This is not because the person didn’t want to, but because addiction is precisely this: a disease. Even if the addict wants to get out of it, it always drags them from within, making it very difficult for them not to fall again.
The Therapeutic Process
Once this is understood, the patient’s therapeutic process goes hand in hand with his family’s therapeutic process. The family, in most cases, acts as a barrier between the addict and consumption. This is because, in the early stages, the patient has to leave an environment, most of the time at risk, and begins to spend a lot of time surrounded by his family. They are the ones who live closely during the first moments of physical detoxification, change of habits, mood changes, desire to consume … and that is why they must understand the disease and know how to act.
Seeking Help
If you suspect that a family member has a drug addiction problem, and you don’t know how to act, it is best to seek help from a Denver detox center. The first consultation is usually free where the addict and other family members will hear that there is a treatment with guarantees of success. On many occasions, the family, due to ignorance or hopelessness, ends up creating habits and allowing behaviors that, far from helping the addicted patient. This can cause the addiction disease to become more and more chronic. The professionals at most detox centers will give each one the appropriate guidelines so that at least they do not feel so adrift.
Making the Right Decision
You have to know that for a therapeutic process to be effective, the essential thing is that the addicted patient makes the real decision of wanting to abandon consumption. This decision, sometimes, is already made when the treatment begins (although later the process is long, and buried doubts could arise). However, many other times the decision is made once the treatment has started. This means that the patient begins his detoxification process for other reasons, in most cases due to the final warning from the family or to try to “calm the conscience”, and then, while advancing in his process, he realizes it is best to abandon consumption because there is a better alternative away from drugs.
Conclusion
The reason for which the patient comes for consultation is not as relevant for rehabilitation as it is thought, but what is truly important is the process that is followed during and after the treatment. The family’s responsibility is to intervene and take their loved one to a detox center and the professionals will take care of the rest. For you as a family member and for the patient, you don’t lose anything by trying and the gain is very important.