1(800) 615-1067Helping an addicted friend can be a challenging and emotional experience, but there are ways you can support them:
Express your concern: Let your friend know that you are concerned about their addiction and that you want to help.
Educate yourself: Educate yourself on addiction, including the signs and symptoms, risks, and available resources for recovery.
Encourage professional help: Encourage your friend to seek professional help for their addiction. This may involve contacting a healthcare provider, addiction specialist, or treatment program.
Offer support: Offer emotional support to your friend during their journey towards recovery. Encourage them to talk about their feelings and experiences, and offer a listening ear.
Help them find resources: Help your friend find resources for their recovery, such as support groups or treatment programs in your area.
Avoid enabling behavior: Avoid enabling your friend’s addiction by refusing to provide them with money or other resources that could be used to support their addiction.
Set boundaries: Set clear boundaries with your friend around their addiction and the impact it is having on your life. This may involve setting limits on their behavior or refusing to enable their addiction.
Encourage healthy coping strategies: Encourage your friend to find healthy ways to cope with stress and emotions, such as exercise, mindfulness practices, or creative outlets.
Remember, helping an addicted friend can be a difficult and ongoing process that requires ongoing support and commitment. By expressing your concern, educating yourself, encouraging professional help, offering support, helping them find resources, avoiding enabling behavior, setting boundaries, and encouraging healthy coping strategies, you can support your friend in their journey towards a healthier, sober life.