This is a question you probably asked yourself a million times. If they just stopped using drugs and alcohol everything would be better, their lives would be better, you would worry less, and both of you would have less stress. Unfortunately when a person is caught up in addiction, it’s hard to get out. Just go to an al anon meeting in Pinellas County, or ask someone at a nar-anon meeting in Hillsborough County. This is a hard disease to get out of, a hard disease to survive. It’s easy for us on the outside to look through the window and know that if our loved one, just stopped using drugs, just got a job, just started thinking clearly things would get better. And your right, but it is a lot harder for them to do this then we realize.
There are several reasons for this. Number one, the environment. Are they in an environment that supports drug and alcohol use? Are their friends using drugs, drinking, partying like its 1999 every day? Do they have drug dealers coming around them all the time? Like any sales person, drug dealers, can be very personable, to the point that your loved one might actually think their drug dealer is really a good friend. The environment that your loved one is in can be a huge factor in how easy it is for them to get sober.
What about your loved one’s access to money? If they are still working then they will still have a pay check coming in which would make it really easy to buy drugs or alcohol. Maybe they are not working but have a friend or family member giving them cash regularly. Do they have a trust fund or money from a settlement coming in? Do they have property, or a car that they can or have sold? Maybe they are asking you if they can “borrow” money from you, but then they don’t pay you back.
When all these legal ways of obtaining money are run dry the person with the drug or alcohol problem might turn to stealing. Before they started stealing, you might have had some ideas that they were using drugs or alcohol, but once you see your missing jewelry, or their face in the local mugshots, you know their drug or alcohol problem is real. You know that they need a drug and alcohol treatment program quickly because you know that your loved one might do anything to get more drugs and alcohol and it is scary. At this point many families get rightfully angry, sad, and worried, especially if their loved one stole from them. This is really sad but it happens, and is why I recommend my clients have a safe or lock box to secure their valuables and prescription medications. Talking to others who understand by going to things like al anon meetings in Tampa, can help you see that you aren’t the only family member struggling with this same issue.
Another thing I want you to consider are mental health issues. If a person has depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, or trauma issues, coupled with a substance use issue it just makes it so much harder for them to get the help that they need to stay sober. If your loved one needs medications but isn’t taking them or don’t even have basic coping skills, it will be very hard for them to stay sober. Drug and alcohol counseling programs in Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties in Florida are great and can work on helping your loved one build up their coping skills while also addressing some of their mental health issues, but they still might not have everything your loved one needs. Even the best programs are limited and might not be the right fit for everyone. So finding the right drug or alcohol counseling program is really important.
Physical dependency, is another reason why it’s so hard for your loved one to just quit drugs and alcohol cold turkey. Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Pasco Counties are being hit hard by the opiate crisis. When I worked at an opiate medication management treatment center, I saw first hard why it’s so hard to fight the opiate crisis in Florida. When a person is physically dependent on a substance they feel like they have to keep using it just so they don't get sick. This is kind of like when you drink a lot of coffee or soda with caffeine, then suddenly stop, you most likely will get a headache. But instead of the headache, imagine that you literally feel that you might die. For certain substances, if your loved one is physically dependent on them, stopping their use could actually kill them. That is why it is so important that if your loved one has a substance use issue they receive medical care and drug and alcohol treatment from a provider that understands addiction issues.
These are only some of the many reasons your loved one might struggle with quitting their drug and alcohol use. Even if they do go to a drug and alcohol counseling program, relapse can happen as substance use issues are so difficult to treat. For families and loved ones, it can be really hard to watch addiction take over your loved one’s life. From finding drug and alcohol counseling in Hillsborough County, to questions about al anon in Tampa, if you need help please reach out.