What can a family member do to help someone who is addicted?
Fielding: They can go to them and talk to them. Tell them they are concerned and ask them to see a doctor. There is also the tough love approach where you don’t enable the person or make excuse for their behavior. Finally, if these approaches don’t work, you may want to hold an intervention where family members and concerned individuals meet with a professional to discuss their concerns, later bringing in the person for confrontation and hopefully into treatment. It’s also important for the friend or family member to take care of themselves. Join a group like Al-Anon and understand that the person’s addiction is not your fault. Patch: What can someone in recovery do to help avoid relapse? Fielding: Have a recovery plan. Keep the phone number of your sponsor and support groups handy. Go to support group meetings. Get advice from your sponsor if you expect to be in a situation where you may have to deal with your triggers. And be honest with yourself. Sometimes you have to humble yoursel
