Helping a sibling who is struggling with addiction seems overwhelming. Whether it’s a sister or brother with the drug addiction, you want to support them without enabling their dysfunctional behavior. Siblings see every problem when they watch a loved one struggle with addiction. They want to take action, but often feel powerless. Here are some steps to guide you through the process if you’re in this trying situation.
Establishing Trust
It’s important to establish trust before organizing an intervention to deal with a drug-addicted sibling. To do so, you’ll need to:
- Maintain consistent behavior
- Listen without judgment
- Avoid accusations, shouting and criticism
- Be kind without enabling
- Set boundaries
Taking these steps can help siblings overcome any estrangement that might have occurred due to the addiction. Once trust is established, intervention can begin.
Planning an Intervention
When you hold an intervention to help a brother or sister with drug addiction, take the following steps:
- Be careful who you invite: Include friends and family members the addict respects. Do not invite people who will argue, shame or blame your sibling. Aggression will not encourage or help a drug-addicted sibling.
- Know what you’ll say: Everyone involved should write down a specific message to give to the addict. Make sure each message is focused on the addict’s behavior and the effects it has had on the speaker. Practice saying your message out loud before the intervention to make the difficult and emotional conversation easier to manage.
- Agree on the consequences: Before the intervention, the group should discuss consequences for the addict if they do not agree to change their behavior. While difficult, sometimes established consequences are necessary for the healing of both yourself and the addict.
Your sibling must make an instant decision to change their behavior. Organize transportation to a treatment center immediately after the intervention.
Providing Help and Support for a Drug-Addicted Sibling
Synergy Recovery Services is a discreet rehab clinic based in Bakersfield, CA. We offer an addiction treatment program tailored to the individual patient and their drug history. Using a combination of medications and counseling, our program treats the person behind the disease with respect and dignity.
Contact our offices by calling 661-878-9930 or scheduling an appointment online. Our comprehensive addiction treatment program can help a sibling with a drug addiction get their life back on track.
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