Recognizing Addiction Early

One of the best ways you can help someone who you believe could be dealing with struggles related to addiction is to identify the issues early and encourage the person to seek help from substance abuse rehab professionals. While you don’t want to see anyone you love dealing with alcoholism or abusing illegal drugs, it is a prevalent problem and one that isn’t going to go away anytime soon. 

What You Can Do

You can’t force anyone to go into a rehab facility if they are a grown adult, but you can at least encourage them in the right direction and let them know through your friendship that you care about this person and want to see them find the help they need to beat their addiction. 

Knowing the Warning Signs

To be able to suggest that someone you care about to seek help from drug rehab or alcohol rehab professionals, you should be able to identify some of the potential warning signs that they could be dealing with issues related to addiction. Here are some of the early warning signs you should be on the lookout for if you suspect someone you know is abusing drugs or alcohol. 

• Losing interest in their normal hobbies or activities

One giveaway of someone dealing with addiction is the sudden loss of interest in hobbies or activities that they normally love taking part in. Keep an eye out for your loved one suddenly losing interest in things they normally enjoy if you think they could be abusing drugs or alcohol. 

• Spending increasing amounts of time alone

Folks who deal with drinking or drug abuse problems will often isolate themselves from family and friends as they drink or use drugs alone. They usually don’t want their loved ones to know they are dealing with this struggle and will isolate themselves to keep their loved ones from finding out.

• Selling their items unexpectedly

Some people who deal with addiction might often sell some of their belongings in an effort to make extra cash to get hold of more drugs or alcohol. If you see your friend or family member randomly start to sell their belongings with no explanation, this could be a potential sign. 

Extend a Helping Hand

If you notice your friend or loved exhibiting any of these signs of addiction, try to reach out to them and let them know you care about them and want to see them go back to their normal selves. Let them know you harbor no feelings of judgment and are only looking out for their well-being, and how much a visit to a drug or alcohol rehab center might help them. With luck, they’ll take your advice and try to get back to a sober life.