How to Address Addiction As Family and Friends

Many individuals struggle with addiction, and so do many of their friends and the family members. Some continually try to help the individual seek addiction treatment, while others have reached a

breaking point so many times that they don't know what to do anymore or have given up.

The pervasive nature of addiction means that relationships are disrupted. They become unreliable, even untrustworthy. They may have stolen from you. You may not even recognize the person anymore.

Addiction is something that can not only affect the person with the substance abuse problem but the people that are closest to them as well. Family members often should be involved in the treatment process. Getting additional information, education, and resources can be helpful.

Friends and family may not always understand addiction or the need to set boundaries. They enable the addict by excusing behavior, covering up, casting blame, doing things for them, and even taking their word at face value. This can be precisely what an addict wants you to do and has even pressured or manipulated you into doing. However, all it does is allow addiction to continue. The family can become reactive as a result. Successful recovery can involve the following.



Give up the old ways.

If it's not working, it's not working. To embrace recovery, family and friends must give up on the old way of doing things. Only with new strategies can they start working to make healthy existence, at least for themselves, a reality.



Get rid of your urge to fix it.

Only the addict can fix it. The family cannot be the answer to addiction or many addictions would be solved already. It is too large of a burden and an individual must choose to take on recovery themselves. The individual in the middle of addiction must be the primary person to take control and say yes to getting clean and sober.


Be on the same page.

When family members are working together to be supportive and everyone is on the same page, it's easier for an addict to embrace recovery and gives them less room to capitalize on any rifts or weaknesses in family dynamics.



Hold them accountable.

Instead of blame, accountability must be the action pursued. Holding an addict accountable for what they do is important. Have boundaries set, have certain expectations, and maintain structure.



Be aware of where your energy goes. 

Energy can often be redirected in a family to go toward the addict. Families must take care into guarding the relationships that they have outside of the addict.

Family treatment and professional guidance or attending meetings can inform families on what is and is not healthy behavior. Support and guidance may be necessary and many family and friends do not even realize that they needed an outlet for their emotions.



Try healing with family therapy.

Effective therapy in families should be inclusive of all the family and friends' needs and take into account their dynamic. Clear goal setting and prioritizing therapy for the family could be healing. It can be done without the person suffering from addiction as well if that is more comfortable or productive.


Recovery may mean walking away from the loved one with a problem and going in another direction. It also could be working on yourself and your own quality of life. Family healing is important. Don't allow addiction to rule your life through another.