Modern Day Struggles

Addiction triggers are features that make an individual to repeat a certain compulsive behavior. This behavior could be in form of a particular attribute or a substance as the case may be. Addiction triggers can take various forms.

They could be in form of an event, a place or even a person. It is important to be aware of these triggers and know how they can affect our overall state of health.

For people who are struggling with addiction, there are definitely addiction triggers that are responsible for keeping them within the loop of addiction.

So, even if they decide not to indulge in the addictive habit again, these triggers would reactivate the brain’s pleasure centre.

Taking a look at friends who are addiction triggers, it could be difficult for individuals to identify them except they are aware of how the addiction concept works.

There are some friends who are known to contribute to the addiction of their peers, either passively or actively. In the actual sense, no one really loves to be left out when their peers are doing things they are not doing.

So, what they would rather do is join them instead of refraining from such habits. Usually, these habits are addictive ones and people ignorantly indulge in them.

Entering into addiction therapy, this is one of the first set of things that an individual would learn. He or she would be thought how to identify addiction triggers and how to stay away from them.

Staying away from addiction triggers is one of the most efficient ways to refrain from addiction while in recovery.

At this phase, you need the help of a counselor to help you identify the at-risk behaviors that your friends possess, and how you can avoid them completely.

Friends who are addiction triggers are not worthy to be called friends. You can play your part by inviting them to opt for addiction recovery, and if they do not oblige, it is best to stay away from them.

In the prevention of addiction, one of the categories of people that you can bank on to get results, is the family. Generally, there are two types of addiction: Behavioral addiction and substance addiction.

Behavioral addiction is a form of addiction whereby an individual is obsessively involved in a particular act or behavior. While substance addiction is a condition whereby an individual frequently abuses either drugs or alcohol.

People are more aware of substance addiction than behavioral addiction. To a good number of people, behavioral addiction looks like a particular activity that an individual might love to indulge in.

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So, they would not necessarily take it serious. However, it is very easy to know when an individual is addicted to any substance.

Both forms of addiction have certain attributes that they come with. Worthy of note is the fact that, anyone who is addicted to a particular behavior or substance would dedicate more time and attention to it.

In addition to this, people who are addicted to a behavior or substance, would pay more attention to their addiction than people around them.

Now, it is important for the family to keep an Eagle’s eye when it comes to proper monitoring of their loved ones.

It is essential to always be on the lookout for strange behaviors that addicts would typically exhibit. If you are not sure of what your observation is, you can reach out to a counselor for help, and he or she would be happy to put you through.

Addiction is a phenomenon that has the capacity to affect almost anyone. So, a family that constantly looks out for every member of the family is said to be highly-functional.

A family that shows ample support and concern as regards the addiction process, would have less problem on their hands.

To wrap it up, if any member of the family gets addicted by chance, it is the responsibility of the family to opt for the rehab program as soon as possible.  

In addiction recovery, the two sets of people who are quintessential are family and friends. These set of people have a collaborative function to play as touching the addiction of their loved one.

So, they are expected to work hand-in-hand for progress to ensue.

When the addiction problem sets in, a good number of times, it is either the family or friends who detects it. This is one of the reasons why they have a pivotal role to play.

Very likely, family and friends are more observant than other categories of people. So, they would be able to detect if there is a strange and unusual activity ongoing with their loved one.

Not all families are really observant, but some of them are. No matter how hard an addict tries to hide his or her addiction from family and friends, they still have a way of finding out.

The only issue here is, it might take a while before they notice, but they would eventually do. If they notice late, the individual might have plunged deep into the pit of addiction, and rescuing him or her would prove difficult.

During this stage, the individual would not want to accept that he or she is addicted, so they will do anything possible to avoid counseling or rehab.

For families and friends who do not know how to go about their responsibilities when it comes to helping their loved ones, they can reach out to the counselor for help.

The counselor would in turn take time to explain the duties that family and friends are expected to play in fostering the health of their loved ones.

Once this gap has been filled, it would be easy for family and friends to play their role in helping their loved one get better.

The individual would be encouraged that the people who matter close to him or her, are dedicated to ensuring their optimal state of health.

The role of the family and friends of an individual during addiction treatment are intertwined. The reason for this is, these two categories of people are the basic support system that any individual could have.

So, it is expected that when an individual needs help, the first set of people he or she needs to look up to, are family and friends.

This means that for an addicted individual, if the friends also play their part in the addiction recovery of their loved one, things would be a lot better.

The ideal definition of a friend, is someone who has your back at all times. A friend is someone who is expected to be there for you during your time of need.

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You might not have known your friend for a long period of time, but it is assumed that series of happenings would have made both parties stronger.

It is also possible that your friend might be responsible for your addiction, this is why you need to discuss with your counselor.

For your friends, it is important for you to separate the good eggs from the bad eggs. Keeping up with friends who promote your addiction would do you no good.

As a matter of fact, they can hinder whatever level of progress that you are making in addiction recovery. You need friends who are sober, friends who will prevent you from being affected by triggers.

In conjunction with the family of the addicted individual, there is certainly going to be a huge level of progress.

Your addicted friend would need you to be around when he or she is going for therapy sessions. It might not have to be every time due to the fact that we have various schedules. However, it is important to show up at intervals.

Being around for your friend’s addiction therapy sessions shows that you care about their health, and you want them back on track. These and many more are one of the trademarks of true friendship.  

In the concept of addiction, one of the most important feature is love and not prejudice.

Love is essential in determining how well an addiction recovery would go. On the other hand, showing prejudice and hate would not help the individual at all.

One of the reasons why people do not show love to their addicted family member is because, they do not have a proper understanding of the addiction concept. If they had, they would know how to approach this sensitive issue.

Love is basically showing care and affection to an individual irrespective of their inadequacies. Addiction is an inadequacy which addicts should not be blamed for.

There are various reasons contributing to their addiction, and understanding needs to be showcased in this aspect.

It is important for a family to show love and care to their addicted family member, rather than leave them to themselves.

Addiction treatment and recovery are tough phases, and even though the individual has a professional counselor all through the way, he or she needs the family to come through.

This is the point where the family needs to offer the best of support and solidarity. They need to reiterate their stance to taking care of their loved one through thick and thin.

Doing this would foster an addiction recovery pattern and it would promote the mental health of the individual.

Not all families are aware of these responsibilities. This is why the counselor needs to teach them what to do. The counselor needs to clearly spell out the responsibilities of the family, and explain how these duties benefits their addicted loved one.

When addiction treatment has been completed and the individual has been issued a clean bill of health, this is not the phase to pull out.

During this stage, it is important that the family observe their loved one with an Eagle’s eye, in order to prevent him or her from relapsing.

The concept of relapse is a common feature in addiction recovery, and it is the role of the family to make sure that their loved one remains sober.

Addiction is a bondage that no one would like to find themselves in. The painful part about this is some of our loved ones are addicted, but we have no idea they are.

This highlights the importance of being cognizant of our loved ones, always looking out for warning signs that show that there might be an addiction.

When you find out that your family or friend is struggling with addiction, the first thing to do is to show love and not chastise.

This is one common mistake that people often make, and it soils the relationship they have with one another.

Showing love to people who are addicted is one of the first step to aiding their recovery, and most people do not know this.

In addiction recovery, love is what spurs people on to opt for treatment. As a matter of fact, it is part of what encourages them to keep fighting; believing they can defeat addiction.

As a friend or family of an addicted person, it is advisable that the love you show towards your struggling loved one is constant.

It is important that you always give them a reason to believe that they can get over their addiction.

During addiction therapy, there are times when your involvement as a loved one is needed.

Some sessions like family therapy and group therapy could most likely need you to come around. It is best that you are always present to give hope to your loved one that you care about and love them.

For those who would be going for inpatient rehab, you need to always make out time to visit them. It shows that you have not forgot them.

While for outpatient rehab, you need to always accept them with open arms when they return from each session.

Showing love is quintessential to getting your loved one back on their feet. In the absence of love, an individual can be struggling with addiction all through his or her life.  

For addicted individuals, there are several times when there is a feeling of worthlessness. During this phase, they feel like there is no hope for them, and they are stuck with addiction forever.

Breaking free from addiction is not about quitting a particular act or stop the use of alcohol and drugs. It is a complex process that while in the right direction, there are some difficulties encountered.

Despite the twists and turns on the road to recovery, the addicted individual should not be deterred. This road is necessary to living a healthy life, and being free from the bondage of addiction.

This is why addiction counselors would tell you that, the entire process of recovery begins with hope and not abstinence.

Hope refers to expectation and belief. Hope is quintessential to helping people heal. It is the belief that something will occur. Someone who is hopeful will have a positive approach to life.

There would be no negative mindset towards life occurrences. Hope is what keeps people going despite being faced with the chances of never having to recover from addiction.

The road to recovery is laced with frustration, challenges, hindrances and difficulty.

It is great to have goals at the start of recovery, but it becomes more beneficial when you need a drive that will keep you focused on your goals.

It is wrong to refer to hope as wishful thinking, it is much more than that. Hope is the foundation of any successful recovery, and it must be laid out well.

When there is no hope and the feeling for recovery, it would be difficult for you to find the action that matters.

Hope helps you to take the right and needful step. You will be amazed to find out that each step you take, strengthens your foundation and prospects for recovery in the long term.

You can find hope by listening to people who were once in your shoes and have recovered from addiction.

Also, accepting your current situation is another way of restoring hope. Finding a direction for your life also helps to give you hope, and you can be properly guided having a counselor by your side.  

There is no one in this world who is all by themselves. They definitely have some set of people who they keep in touch with.

This implies that irrespective of what we are going through, there are people that we keep in touch with. One of the fewest exceptions to this is addiction.

Generally, when people are addicted, they do not like talking about it.

The reason for this is based on the peculiarity of the concept of addiction. Anyone who is addicted is most times looked at as a diseased individual.

This is why people who are addicted would prefer not to disclose it, and they would rather seek solutions for themselves without letting anyone in.

In the long run, it does not get better for the addicted individual except him or she opts for a rehab. Typically, addicts shy away from the rehab option.

They do not see any profound reason why they should open up to someone. It is usually like a sign of weakness, and they would not want anyone to exploit this aspect of their lives.

This is why family and friends are always advised to be on the lookout for their loved ones. If they notice any awkward behavior, it is best to always make enquiries as to why they are behaving that way.

For instance, if someone who actively takes part in family activities, starts shying away all of a sudden, it should be a cause for concern.

Family and friends are not expected to display any form of prejudice towards their loved one who is addicted.

Rather, they are expected to render all form of support which would be quintessential to their prompt recovery.

In addition to this, during the course of addiction treatment, there are some sessions that family and friends are expected to attend.

It is advisable that loved ones show up. This would show to the individual that he or she has people that care about them.

Your loved one can be addicted for a long time, and you could be oblivious of this. Addiction is a condition that is not pleasant to talk about.

People who are addicted do not like to talk about it. Rather, they will hide their addiction and try all they can to manage it.

However, if you happen to find out that your loved one is addicted, it is important to swing into action.

One of the commonest mistake that people make is, putting measures in place to stop the addiction abruptly.

This is impossible because the addiction did not just begin instantly. It is an end-result of series of abuse that has developed to a phase where it become impossible to quit within few days.

The best way to act as either a family or friend when your loved one is addicted is to show ample care and love.

You should avoid pointing it out to them that it is their fault that they are addicted. Rather, you should display signs of enthusiasm and optimism that they would get better once they enter for treatment.

Also, you should also expect that your loved one would not act the way they use to. Addiction has a way of changing the way people behave, how they express their emotions, feelings and the likes.

As a matter of fact, you need to make them confide in you about everything. This is not done forcefully, rather from an angle of love.

One of the pivotal roles you need to play as a family or friend of an addicted loved one, is to encourage them to opt for addiction treatment.

A good number of addicts do not buy the idea of going to a rehab for treatment. However, you need to make them understand that it is one of the proficient ways to ensure they have a good bill of health.

Furthermore, you should also be willing to remain with them all through the phases of their addiction treatment. This will prove to them that you have their best interest at heart.

When an individual is addicted, he or she do not only take the fall for it, they also put their family and friends in an uncomfortable situation.

This can contribute into making the whole addiction situation more complicated.

Addiction is not a one-sided condition, when an individual is addicted, the negative behaviors associated with addiction give rise to unpleasant end-results.

If you are a family and friend of an addicted individual, it would be quite difficult to play this role. People who are addicted do not understand the extent to which the effect of their addiction affects their loved ones.

One of the highlights of addiction is, the individual distances themselves from their friends and family. They begin to lose interest in activities that caught their eye in the past.

Some of these activities include the ones they all use to do together. Stopping these activities can be painful to the loved ones, but the addicted individual does not fully understand this reality.

In addition to this, family and friends might imbibe negative emotions and mindset due to their loved one’s addiction. Some of them heap the blame on themselves, and this affect their logic of self-love.

Addiction breaks trust, particularly between the addicted person and their loved ones. This happens because, the addicted person begins to tell lies surrounding their addiction.

If the addicted person has a spouse, the person might experience utter disappointment and shame.

If present, the children of the addicted person might go through bouts of anxiety and depression. The emotional trauma is usually too much for children to handle.

When an individual is addicted, their brain and body experience adverse effects from the toxic load of the alcohol and drugs.

If they are not addicted to any of these, and they are suffering from other forms like sex addiction, food addiction, video gaming addiction and the likes, their brain and body experiences the same thing.

Diseases are bound to set in during the course of an addiction, and this requires the role of caretaking from family and friends.

This caretaking role is not as easy as it comes, but they really have no choice because they cannot afford to completely ignore.