Does drug addiction exist in your family? Let’s learn about it from a real-life experience since it is a widespread problem that needs awareness and attention. This is why substance help such as addiction treatment or therapy is a significant topic to discuss because not everyone is open about it. Indeed, drug abuse is a public health risk, and drug abuse treatment must be a priority.
Addiction Treatment
When I was much younger, my dad’s little brother and sister went to another location to look for greener pastures. Soon after they moved, my aunt married.
Whenever Uncle Jay would call us back home, he would sound really well, like he was not into drug use. He told us that he had already become a sous chef at the restaurant where he used to work as a busboy. The whole family was happy for him! The support for him was overwhelming.
My aunt saw my uncle less and less since she got pregnant and started her own family. They would no longer go out together, especially when Aunt Mary gave birth and got busy looking after her kid. Still, we had the impression that there was nothing wrong with them. We would eventually find out that he was indeed into drug use (or substance use) and he was able to manage cravings for some time. At that time, he would have benefited from drug addiction treatment and therapy.
Once Aunt Mary called and found out that my uncle would be bringing his friend home, though, she was a little offended. She said, “What was he doing? Why would he bring addiction to our family?” Of course, my dad was confused. Substance use was nowhere in our minds. We were just there to support each other in everything. All of us were not aware that the addiction was slowly creeping into the family. Was it opioid addiction or alcohol addiction? What kind of substance use was it? We had no idea at all! We never had any drug abuse problems in the family. We have never talked about substance abuse treatment for any substance use disorder before.
Seeking treatment was not a topic in the family back then. We always thought we were the healthy ones. It was difficult to process. Addiction was only something that happened to other families – not ours! But, yes, sadly, we were one of those families.
My aunt divulged that the same guy introduced my uncle to drugs that could potentially lead to drug addiction.
When I heard the truth about it, even I could not believe it. I thought my Uncle Jay had always been sensible and responsible enough to know that substance abuse is not good for anybody. My dad did not believe it either and even got a little upset with my aunt for thinking awfully about their brother. All she said was, “You’ll see what I mean when they get there.” It was then that my dad thought about therapy for addiction. He looked into residential treatment facilities, treatment providers, and addiction counselors. He didn’t expect to be dealing with substance abuse when it came to his brother. Now he was worried about his mental health and the mental health of the whole family. Was substance use really in the family?
Addiction Behavior And Counseling
Since I heard about my uncle’s possible drug addiction, I began observing the signs. It had been almost ten years since I saw him last, but Uncle Jay did not change much. He had no apparent mental health conditions.
The most apparent thing was that he wore more expensive clothes these days, which was nice. You wouldn’t think about substance ABUSE when you looked at him. He wasn’t someone who would go into Counseling or someone who had drug cravings.
Then, one evening, my mom asked me to call my uncle and his friend since dinner was already prepared. They shared the guest room while staying with us. I slowly walked up the stairs for some reason. That’s when I saw Julio in the act of inhaling two drug lines of cocaine on his side table. And my dad saw everything too. Substance abuse right in front of my face!
Dad kicked Julio out that same night and told him never to come back since he was no longer welcome in our family because of his addiction problem. He wanted him to swear that he’d go to addiction therapy or counseling. The family was just shocked.
What Happened To The Individual?
As all the drug addiction drama was happening, my uncle was rooted in the bathroom entryway. He only moved when dad returned upstairs and asked him if he knew that Julio was a drug user and addict.
Uncle Jay was adamant about denying his friend being a drug addict. He said he wouldn’t have made friends with the guy if he knew his addiction problem beforehand. However, since Aunt Mary forewarned us, my dad did not believe him. He brought my uncle to the hospital the next day for a drug test, regardless of how much Uncle Jay protested. The results turned out positive, of course.
The Vulnerability Issue That Ruined Him
As it turned out, Uncle Jay started using drugs when my aunt got married. He was not used to being alone, so he turned to drugs to feel less lonely in life and not go into depression. While it was no excuse to use drugs, my dad’s heart softened and allowed him to stay in our house while getting addiction therapy. He talked to some substance abuse counselors who discussed family therapy sessions, treatment facilities, support groups, and treatment approaches that might help my uncle. These support groups and treatment approaches may also be found online.
Seek Help
The counseling and addiction treatment, which included individual therapy and group therapy, practically aimed to help my uncle avoid relapse, learn independence, and become less gullible than usual when it came to friends who use drugs like Julio. It only took six counseling sessions, but the change in my uncle’s disposition was incredible. The group therapy was really helpful in improving my uncle’s life. We were all hoping for a successful treatment process for him. He had all the support from his family.
When my uncle left, the first person he went to was Aunt Mary. Uncle Jay told her everything that happened during his visit, and they patched their relationship up. Last I heard, he was volunteering at a local drug counseling facility in his spare time to help with treating drug addicts like him. He still went for counseling and therapy for his individual needs and was keen to read through treatment plans to keep himself at bay. He would also visit residential treatment facilities and attend alcoholics anonymous meetings. All these became an important part of his life.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the common stages usually included in a drug addiction recovery program?
- What are the primary goals of a recovery program?
- Initially, how do you approach someone who is addicted to drugs to help him start his recovery?
- Does substance abuse affect a person’s brain and other parts of his body?
- What entails the process of drug addiction therapy?
- What are some ways that you can help minimize drug addiction in your own neighborhood?
- What are some of the most common conditions that result from drug abuse?
