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Acceptance is the answer.
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Your first step might be offering to go to an open meeting with him to get him connected to local support. Attending meetings and meeting others who share this affliction was most helpful in me finding a path to recovery.
Thank you!! That helps a ton!!!
I might add that once your friend gets going to just stay engaged on the topic. Ask questions on how it’s going. Give encouragement. AA pushes you to get really involved but that can take some time. The rooms are great (I’m assuming addict rooms are too) but it can feel lonely when you are on your own. The support system of the program will help but friends and family can too.
Bowl Leader
Thank you for being a good friend. It’s not easy to see someone we care about struggle with addiction.
Do you know what drug(s) they’re addicted to? There are a TON of 12-Step meetings that are specific to any addiction you can imagine. NA is a great “catch all” (Narcotics Anonymous), but there’s also CA (Cocaine), MA (Marijuana), CMA (Crystal Meth), etc. I would suggest that your friend try out lots of different meetings to see which ones they connect with.
On top of all that, AA meetings are typically the largest and most stable, and as mentioned, a lot of folks who are addicts enjoy the strong fellowship that AA offers.
That's the one I was talking about. it's Sublocade.
It's only available through a restricted program called the Sublocade REMS program.
What it does is once it's injected by a treatment provider it enters the body as a liquid.
once it's inside the body it turns into a solid gel that gradually releases buprenorphine at a controlled rate. Once it's released it attaches to opioid receptors in the brain the others are less likely to attach to so it blocks the rewarding effects. You can go to Sublocade.com that's a good place to start
Getting sober from alcohol is not the same as getting clean. In my honest opinion and Alcoholism is seen as a disease because it's one addiction with it's own physical and psychological effects, symptoms of withdrawal and treatment protocols involved. I.e mixing alcohols still has the same effects at the end of the day. From a professional standpoint it's easier to diagnose and treat meaning they know the problem, cause, affect, and can address it. Its defined as a chronic, often progressive condition.
Where as substance abuse is umbrella term and treatment protocols vary because it doesn't just mean illegal drugs but even prescribed meds can be abused. each drug has its own unique withdrawal symptoms, psychological and physical effects. And in the event that they are mixed with any other drug the effects are not the same at the end of the day.
But because societal biases painted substance abuse as a lifestyle choice rather than a medical condition, it now has a stigma attached to it. So this distinction overlooks the complexities and struggles individuals face with any type of addiction.
If you don't believe me, tell a doctor you're an alcoholic and you'll see they nod their head with understanding and ready to help with treatment. mention you're a drug addict and watch the body language instantly change, the conversation becomes very condescending with judgmental undertones.
That being said, although advice from AA might have valuable insights about addiction and recovery on the surface, it is not synonymous between the 2. I was a former drinker but I can't speak on alcoholism personally. I can only offer advice as a ex addict and current life coach for after recovery healing.
***Disclaimer: I share my advice from my personal journey and/or someone personally close to me and our experiences through addiction and recovery. This does not establish any client relationship or privilege. While my experiences have shaped my path, everyone's journey is unique. My advice is meant to inspire questions, give hope, and offer insights. It's crucial to get professional guidance tailored to the specific addiction he's dealing with. For personalized professional guidance I do offer services related to recovery, feel free to reach out for more info or assistance in finding local resources in your area***
But my first piece of advice would be if he's able to relocate. away from what's familiar, breaking out of routines, and being away from familiar faces makes a very big impact when kickstarting the process of getting clean. Making it harder to fall back into old patterns. If relocating is not possible, then checking into an inpatient rehab facility. If at all financially able to do so or acquire assistance. Some health insurances pay for treatment.
Another suggestion would be to look for a Harm Reduction program or services in his area, there are now shots that have been approved for opiate addictions that reduce the risk of overdose, 1 shot is good for 3 months, with no withdrawal after the 3 months and after a second treatment and I've had friends not have withdrawal or cravings. It's not used to get clean but I've seen many people get clean without relapse and not needing shots anymore either, ultimately resulting in full recovery.
it's important that he has strong support, people that won't turn their backs on him. That are fully prepared to be all in. People that he can trust people that will be honest with him and that he can be vulnerable with. For example if he relapses (yes, it can and does happen, it's part of the process) someone shaming him or making him feel guilty will only aggravate the process.
Depending on how strong he is mentally, remembering that he can and will beat the addiction only when he is 100% ready. Now is not forever. Sometimes in our hearts we feel we're ready but our mind lies and tells us we can't do it. Recovery happens the moment we realize the reason to stop is bigger and more important to us than the reason to keep doing it.