If your friend is acting moody, becomes easily irritable, isolates himself and spends a lot of time obtaining and using alcohol or drugs, he might be abusing drugs. Friends of someone who is abusing drugs have to understand that they can't change their friend or help him unless he wants to help himself. If he's in denial, he's not ready to accept help; however, if he's ambivalent or ready to make a change, he'll benefit from the support of friends and family members.
Step 1
Learn about addiction. Talk to a mental health professional about your friend's addiction. Attend an Al-Anon or Nar-Anon meeting to discuss addiction with other people who have loved ones who are abusing drugs. You don't want to confront your friend unprepared, because it can be detrimental to your relationship.
Step 2
Continue to attend Al-Anon or Nar-Anon meetings in your area to get support. It won't be easy trying to help your friend, so you'll need continuous support from others who are not directly involved in the situation.
Step 3
Talk to your friend in a private location and include positive messages when you confront her. For example, you might say, "I really care about you and you've always been a good friend to me. I want to be a good friend to you, and I'm really worried about you." Tell her specifically why you're concerned about her. For instance, you might be concerned because her health is deteriorating and she recently got fired from the job that she had for over 10 years.
Step 4
Offer solutions to your friend when you talk to him. If you don't know how to help him, talk to a mental health professional about his options. You can be even more supportive by offering to be a part of his recovery. For instance, you can offer to go to a counseling session with him or attend a 12-step meeting with him. Let him know that he won't be alone. When you talk to him, you need to realize that he might not respond positively. He may be in denial about the seriousness of his drug use.
Step 5
Stop doing any behaviors that enable her to continue to use. You have to set limits with someone who is abusing drugs. You're enabling the behavior if you hang out with her while she's using, go with her when she buys the drugs or give her money knowing that she might use it to buy drugs. You also need to establish boundaries to take care of yourself.
Tips and Warnings
- It's important to realize that struggling with drug abuse and addiction is a lifelong process. Someone who becomes sober may relapse multiple times throughout his life, but having a good support system may decrease the chance of relapse.
