Addiction and mental health problems often go hand in hand since one can often be the driver for the other. Addiction can then be used to mask one’s mental health issues and this often exacerbates the original problems in the first place. When a loved one becomes addicted it can be a truly painful time as their behaviour and health spiral downwards leaving you unable to help and finding it difficult to cope. It is important, though, that you stand beside the person who is addicted or you may find that their problems become worse. Knowing how to deal with their problems is key, so in this article, we are going to take a look at how to cope if a loved one is facing addiction and mental health problems, so read on to find out more. 

Understand

The first thing you need to do when trying to cope with someone who has an addiction and mental health issues is to understand what they are going through. You have to put yourself in their shoes so that you can get some idea of how they are feeling and why they have the problems that they do. You must learn the driving forces because addiction is a disease of the brain. Addicts need a reward to activate their dopamine sensors and this reward is a hit from their drug or drink of choice. It is not their fault that they need this little hit of dopamine, it is their brain telling them they need it, and this inner voice becomes stronger the more addicted they are, making it harder for them to stop. It is not something that can be easily overcome and will often need months, if not years, of treatment, so once you understand this, you will be best placed to help out your loved one. 

How Will it Affect Others?

Once you understand what your loved one is going through it is time to recognise how their behaviour is affecting the rest of the household, because until you do, you will not properly understand the negative consequences their behaviour is having on others. Other members of the family may be feeling anxiety or stress because they don’t think they are able to help out their loved one. Maybe they will feel threatened due to their erratic behaviour or are suffering financially due to a loss of money through theft to feed their habits. They may become angry that rules and boundaries that were normally in place are constantly being broken and they may even feel embarrassed or ashamed that someone close to them is going through these problems. The sooner you realise the consequences that an addict’s behaviour is having on those close to them, the quicker you can seek the help that the addict needs. 

Seek Help for Them

Once you have understood what your loved one is going through, and how their behaviour affects others, it is time to try and seek help for them. This is a tough subject to broach because often the addict will be in denial and their mental health issues will stop them seeing the wood for the trees as they may be convinced there is nothing actually wrong with them. Consulting addiction experts is a great place to start as they can help you find the right way of suggesting to your loved one that they need help. They can also offer advice on rehabilitation and treatment centers that are designed especially for addicts who also have mental health problems. Outpatient care provides necessary resources and monitoring from professionals in the field while still allowing the client to maintain daily activities at work, home, and school. With tailored treatment plans, therapists are able to provide quality care on an individual basis as well as build confidence through support groups. Outpatient drug and alcohol rehab is essential to a healthier and happier future. It allows clients to look beyond their current struggles with substance abuse, providing their loved one some comfort that their loved one is "safe."

It is important to impress on the addict that there is no shame in seeking help, quite the opposite, it is a huge step that they should be proud of, and also a necessary step if they want to recover from their illness and lead a normal life once again. Once your loved one is in rehab the most important thing is to support them through their journey to sobriety, and with luck, they can regain their confidence and can start to live their life again.

As we have learned there are several important steps that you have to take when trying to cope with a loved one that has an addiction and mental health problems. Understanding that their addiction is an illness is the first step as it will help you realise what they are going through, and then it is vital that you see how they are affecting others close to them so that you can start to seek help. Once you have made this step you must support them through their recovery from illness back to a sober human being. Good luck!