Tough Love in drug addiction treatment
As much as we all love to do things amicably, there are times when showing that you love someone means you have to get rigid with them. The Encarta North American Dictionary defines tough love as “a caring and strict attitude adopted toward a relative, friend or loved one with a problem, as distinct from an attitude of indulgence.” If you feel like you’re talking ‘till your blue in the face, the words just aren’t getting through, and the chaos is escalating, then it might be time to take a different approach with your efforts at intervening in the problem.
The Need for Tough Love in the Treatment of Drug Addiction.
Assuming your cherished one is experiencing any of the accompanying indications:
- Violence and Aggression
- Mental illness problems
- Polydrug abuse
- Threats to self and for other associated people
- Having Emotionally unstable reactions
It’s an indication that they are already under immense strain with their personal life and may react in such a volatile way that personal safety becomes the top priority.
Any involvement that elicits emotional, physical or verbal abuses may be counter-productive for everyone involved. Erupting in kind just fans the fire, and pausing for a minute or two and taking it places generally your control in the possession of the victimizer. Being Assertiveness, then again, permits the person to guarantee command over their activities without demolishing over any other individual.
Preparation for Tough Love Intervention.
Realizing that you are the only master of your actions and no one else is the first step in being able to separate you from the situation and observe what’s happening from a distance. Thoroughly considering the dangers related to getting implied versus sitting idle, would you be able to live with yourself on the off chance that somebody gets injured – or more awful?
Take some time to talk over your options with a counselor, psychologist, addiction therapist mentor, coach, or good friend who has experience with drug abuse and interventions. Investigate the potential responses that could surface when your adored one finds you’ll presently don’t assume the part of the person in question or empowering agent. Try to know ahead of time how you will respond to assertively defend your decisions about your loved one.
Some Tactical Maneuvers for Tough Love.
When faced with a crisis, your priority should be to protect yourself from harm. Educate the family members and children to contact any elder dominant person or govt responsible organization for threats of violence or suicidal planning, any type of physical assault, and loss of consciousness (because of a drug overdose). These are the legitimate emergencies that need to be handled promptly by paramedics and first aid responders to the sufferer.
Notify law enforcement when you suspect drugs are on your property, or your loved one is driving while intoxicated. Report the trespassing, vandalism, and truancy immediately and press charges whenever it’s happening and make it possible urgently.
When you are ignoring the problem it will not make it go away; it rewards the behavior by allowing a free ride for unaccountability. When you respond assertively it will bring a new awareness of consequences and a sense of responsibility to a drug abuser. Eventually – hopefully – the addict will begin to understand the reactions to their actions and unacceptable behaviors and realize that it is up to them to change the pattern by getting help for the problems he is suffering from.
Drug abuse is an escape mechanism from the harsh reality of worldly hurdles and problems. An addict can decide anything good for himself, he will keep himself intoxicated just to escape temporarily from his sufferings and it will lead him to overdose which can be fatal and life-threatening and may cause serious illness. It is the responsibility of the family members to decide on his treatment while using the Tough Love intervention.
Team Healing Door is here to help you and your loved one. For further facilitation contact us 03149922547
Regards ASAD Ali Noor
( Founding director/ consultant psychologist/addiction Therapist) Healing Door Rehab center Bani Gala Islamabad.