How do you tell someone that they have an addiction?!
Question:
How do you tell someone that they have an addiction?
She has a problem with prescription drugs. Namely Soma. She gets so bad that she shakes and passes out for days. There has been attempts to bring it to her attention but she claims that we are 'gaingin up on her'. She takes it for lower back pain..... and headaches, and other pains, and stress, and everything else. But she thinks that she needs it. She is a bit psycho. She has a history of violence, and we are worried that if we all sit down and talk to her, she will think we are all against her, and who knows what she will do. She is home alone most of the time, and nobody is home to check on her. We are really worried, but in order to go to rehab you have to be willing, she doesnt think she has a problem. Any Ideas?
Answers:
Most addicts don't change until they hit the bottom unfortunately. As their friend, you have the responsibility for voicing your concern and that's it. You can't make them change or make them care about themselves if they don't.
What you do is wait until you're alone with them and bring up the pills. Tell them that you care about them and you're concerned and others have voiced that concern to you. Tell them that you read on the internet how dangerous Soma can be, that addiction is a horrible way of life and see what she thinks. Addicts can be very defensive about things but just listen to their response and show that you'r concerned.
The next step is a group intervention. If it really is a problem, her family needs to be aware of it and you need to all sit down with her and explain that you won't sit by and watch her destroy her life with pills. Go to www.aetv.com/intervention/ and read up on ideas of how to help a loved one with an addiction. There are links on there with lots of ideas and suggestions. Best of luck.