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Tips for Helping a Loved One
It isn’t easy to get up the courage to talk to someone about drug use — especially if it’s someone you really care about. Here are some ways to get your conversation going:
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Start off by talking about how you feel.
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“I care about you.”
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“I feel like you’ve been distant lately.”
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“I’m worried about your health. You don’t look well.”
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Ask if it’s okay to talk about their drug use.
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“I know this can be a hard thing to face. Is it okay if we talk about it?”
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“You said you feel like you’re losing it. Want to talk about it?”
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“We could talk about some ways to get help. Would you be into that?”
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“I know you’re in a lot of pain. Do you want to talk about some other ways to get your pain under control?”
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Offer support.
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“How can I support you?”
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“I know this is going to be a long road, but I’m here for you.”
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“When you feel like using, call me.”
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“Do you want to talk about what to do next?”
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Talk about next steps.
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“You seem to have some good ideas for how to get help. What can I do to make this process easier?”
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“You mentioned Narconon and calling a hotline. Which of those seems like a good next step?”
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“It seems like you’re interested in going to talk to someone together. I’d be happy to go with you.”
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Go to Allies in Recovery for more tips on how to talk to a loved one.
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