Treatment of addictions
Addictions
TREATMENT OF ADDICTIONS
Get help
If you seem to be addicted to a drug or alcohol, acknowledging that you have a problem is the first step to getting help. Many people believe that they can overcome the problem on their own, but that does not work in most cases. Find someone you trust to speak with. Talking to a friend or someone your age can help to get started, but the best way to get help is to talk to an adult who can support and understand you. If you can't talk to your parents, you could talk to a school counselor, family member, doctor, your favorite teacher, or a priest. Unfortunately, overcoming an addiction is not easy. Quitting drugs or alcohol will probably be one of the hardest things you have ever done in your life. It is not a sign of weakness that you need professional help from an addiction counselor or psychotherapist. Most people who succeed in quitting drugs or alcohol need professional help or treatment to do so.
Tips for recovery
Once you start treatment, follow these tips to make the road to recovery less intricate: Tell your friends about your decision to stop using drugs. Your true friends will respect your decision. This may mean that you will need to find a new group of friends who are 100% supportive. Unless everyone decides to quit drugs at the same time, you probably won't be able to keep dating the same friends you used to do drugs with - ask your friends or family to let you turn to them when you need them. You may need to call someone in the middle of the night just to talk. If you are going through a difficult time, don't try to face the problem alone; Accept help from family and friends Accept invitations to places where you know there will be no drugs or alcohol. Going to the movies is probably risk-free, but you probably better not attend a party on a Friday night until you feel more confident. Plan activities that do not involve the presence of drugs. Go to the movies, go bowling, or take an art class with a friend - think ahead of time what you will do if you find yourself in a drug or alcohol situation. Sometimes temptation will present itself, but if you know how to deal with it, you will not have problems. Make a plan with your parents or siblings so that if you call home using a certain code, they will know that your call is a sign that you need to come and get you right away. Remember that having an addiction does not make you bad or weak. If you slip back into old habits (you slip or relapse), talk to an adult as soon as possible. There's nothing to be ashamed of, but it's important to get help as soon as possible so that all the effort you've put into your recovery isn't wasted. If you're worried about a friend who has an addiction, use these tips to help too. For example, tell your friend that they can talk to you if they need it, or offer your support. If you notice that a friend is relapsing, talk about it openly and ask what you can do to help him. If your friend falls back on drugs or drinking and doesn't accept your help, don't be afraid to talk to an understanding adult who doesn't seem threatening to you, like a parent or a school counselor. It may seem like you are betraying your friend, but it is the best help you can offer. Above all, encourage and praise as much as you can a friend who is struggling to overcome an addiction. It may seem sentimental, but the motivation that your friends just need is to hear that they are important to you.
