When you fall in love and get married, or you gain a new friend, you never look down the timeline of your future and think “you know, I bet we will be a great team when one of us struggles with alcohol addiction or drug abuse”. So when the time does come, and your significant other or good friend is struggling with it addiction, it may be hard to know what to do next. You haven’t planned for this.
Hiding Their Addiction
Unfortunately it can be even more complicated than this. What if your loved one is hiding their addiction from you? You may feel deeply hurt if you know they’re struggling with addiction and haven’t looked to you for comfort and help. That’s normal. It’s normal to feel scared and out of control.
Signs to Watch For
Here are three signs that might point to a possible addiction, or personal crisis in your loved one.
- Are they starting to let their bills fall behind? If you are worried about your friend, and you’ve noticed they have lots of money to buy rounds at happy hour, but lately complain a lot about being late on rent, your friend either has some terrible budgeting, or more likely some screwed up priorities that have either already lead to alcohol addiction or could be on the way there.
- Does your partner constantly smell like alcohol? When people consume a significant amount of alcohol sometimes they start to smell like old concentrated spirits. It’s a kind of sour, sharp smell. It’s hard to get around your bodies natural functioning and this is one of them.
- Do they have frequent mood changes? Are they short with you and others they care about? If your loved one has started having mood swings, especially after a drink you may need to talk with them about possible addiction.
- If your friend or significant other seems angrier, or despondent lately, consistently stays out late and comes back reeking like alcohol or wakes up smelling like alcohol, and are also falling behind on their finances you might sit down to talk to them and see if they are struggling with alcohol or drug abuse. Explain to them that you care about them and want to help.
- Perhaps you can even help your loved one research different medical detox programs, and seek out rehab treatment facilities. Remember it is hard for you to bring up but chances are it will be harder for them. And if you’re gentle and compassionate you can only improve your relationship by this kind of active care.
If they are suffering from an addiction, your help and support may end up being the push they need to get better. Your patience will mean more to them than you may never understand. To start getting them the professional help in Florida they need, contact us online or call us at (833) 596-3502.
