How to Help a Loved One with a Cocaine Addiction

It is heartbreaking to see cocaine addiction in the one you care about. It be it a partner, friend, a sibling or a child, it is overwhelming to see them in the state of drug use effects. It might seem that you are helpless, but your understanding and support can make a tremendous impact on their way to health.

Palm Coast Treatment Solutions is an organization that assists people and their families in overcoming their way to recovery. When someone you love is struggling with cocaine addiction, you may not know how to help them. This guide will show you how to help them in a helpful but humane way.

Understand Cocaine Addiction

Cocaine is a very serious stimulant, which stimulates the brain in the reward system, which in turn causes remarkable interest and addiction. It produces an ecstatic high in a short run but may exhibit harmful long term effects, such as paranoia, cardiac issues, anxiety and depression. 

The more cocaine one consumes, the more the brain gets addicted to the drug to facilitate its functioning. The result is tolerance (requiring more to achieve the same effect), withdrawal symptoms upon cessation and an inability to limit use-despite adverse effects.

You may become more competent at providing supportive, non-judgmental help to your friends and family by understanding what addiction is all about.

Approach with Empathy and Patience

The most important way to support someone we love is to come with an empathic approach. Know that the problem of addiction is a disease- not a vice. You can become angry or frustrated and especially when they have hurt or violated trust. Nevertheless, there is an opportunity of communication through a humane approach.

Select a quiet time when you ask them to speak to them. Instead use something like:

I am positively afraid of you. I have noticed some changes, and I would like to be supportive of you.”

Stop the blame, accusation and lecturing. It should be aimed at showing concern and making them develop a comfortable environment so that they can open up.

Avoid Enabling Behaviors

It is good to be supportive to your loved one, although not in a manner that will ensure that the degeneration of the addiction persists. The facilitating acts may be to supply them with cash, to conceal their activities, and to put up excuses on their behalf.

Rather, establish healthy limits. Be specific on what you do and do not tolerate. You may say, e.g.:

I will support the recovery process; however, I cannot keep on assisting you in case you are on drugs.

Boundaries cannot be seen as punishments- they safeguard you and your beloved one and strengthen the need to address help.

Encourage Professional Treatment

The condition of addiction is complicated, and those who want to get rid of it have to have professional assistance in most cases. Expose your loved one to mental health treatment centers that provide medical oversight, treatment and aftercare help. 

We offer full outpatient care at Palm Coast Treatment Solutions, which ensures every patient gets personal attention based on his or her needs. Our licensed professionals provide mental health support, provide evidence-based therapies, and develop individual care plans to assist people on the way to recovery. 

When your family member or friend would like to be assisted, volunteer to accompany them to their appointments or assist them to find programs. They may not be prepared yet but the fact that you will be there when they finally decide to be open can be all they need.

Offer Continued Emotional Support

The healing process does not occur in one day. There will be ups and downs and your loved one will relapse or will lack motivation. This should be done by continuing to provide emotional support in the process.

Tell them you have confidence in them and you are proud of the steps that they are making or how small they might be. Bring out honest communication and tell them that failures are a part of recovery and not a failure.

Encourage Healthy Habits

Addiction to cocaine usually takes away normal schedules. The physical and emotional health of your loved one can be enhanced by assisting him or her to establish healthy habits. This will perhaps consist of:

• Promoting sleep and healthy eating

• Intentions to practice some kind of physical activity such as yoga or walking

• Encouragement of more relaxing methods like meditation or deep breathing

• Spending time proposing interests or activities without using substances

Routine helps to bring the element of stability and control that is very much needed in the recovery process.

Get Support for Yourself

Being a care giver of a person during addiction is hard emotionally. Do not forget to do something about yourself. Get the help of support groups of families who have a loved one with an addiction or find an individual therapy where you can work with your feelings.

You can not give when you have nothing to give. With your personal well-being taken care of, you will be better placed to serve the loved one.

Why Choose Palm Coast Treatment Solutions?

Addiction affects families and relationships and has laid its importance on us at Palm Coast Treatment Solutions. Our caring staff delivers quality services in a safe and nurturing setting so that an individual can start the process of healing.

We offer:

• Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP)

• Intensive OutPatient Programs (IOP)

• Outpatient care of character governing treatment of weaker ones or different individuals in standard manner

• Provision of dual diagnosis to co-existing mental issues

• Counseling and education of the family

We treat an individual as a whole rather than the addiction. And we will be with you all the steps of the way.

Your loved one is going through a cocaine addiction and you will not find it easy to help him but then with your support, it will be a change that will help him to recover. You can also help them reintroduce themselves out of addiction by giving compassion, setting boundaries, and inspiring professional treatment.

Palm Coast Treatment Solutions is here when they are ready, or they just need a direction.

Contact us now by calling (386) 284-4151, and begin with your recovery.