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.

• “I care about you.”

• “I feel like you’ve been distant lately.”

• “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.

• “I know this can be a hard thing to face. Is it okay if we talk about it?”

• “You said you feel like you’re losing it. Want to talk about it?”

• “We could talk about some ways to get help. Would you be into that?”

• “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.

• “How can I support you?”

• “I know this is going to be a long road, but I’m here for you.”

• “When you feel like using, call me.”

• “Do you want to talk about what to do next?”

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Talk about next steps.

• “You seem to have some good ideas for how to get help. What can I do to make this process easier?”

• “You mentioned Narconon and calling a hotline. Which of those seems like a good next step?”

• “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.