Resources to Help Your Friend

You may be experiencing a range of emotions if your friend is struggling with substance use. It’s not uncommon to be anxious, worried, fearful, angry or resentful and if you’re feeling this way, you’re not alone.

Here are some resources that others in this situation have found helpful and we hope you will too.

Guides and Tips to Help a Friend

The National Institute on Drug Abuse has developed a step-by-step guide for friends who want to help an adult who has a problem with substance use. It includes information on how to recognize a substance use disorder, how to find help, treatment information, support groups, costs, privacy issues and resources.

The University of Rochester Medical Center also provides several tips for how you can help a friend struggling with substance use including a “How to Talk” section. This help guide provides more tools and ways to be supportive to your friend.

Suggesting Treatment

Allies in Recovery offers some great resources and worksheets as to how to suggest treatment while attending to your own self-care and more. If you decide that you want to stage an intervention, please do so with a great deal of planning and care. This video from the Center for Motivation and Change is a good starting point.

Treatment Options

Personal counseling may be helpful for your friend and/or yourself to deal with the emotional ups and downs you’re likely facing. Your insurance company or Psychology Today can offer counselors to work with you – just be sure they have training in addiction.

If you are seeking outpatient or inpatient programs for your friend try this treatment locator offering programs across the country. After using the search criteria, you will still have to call the programs to make sure they are a good fit for your friend. And, if they have other mental health issues, be sure any program you select treats both problems at the same time.

Moderating Substance Use

Your friend may be willing to consider moderating their substance use – even though your goal may differ. Although Moderation Management speaks primarily to alcohol the ideas they present can be applied to other substances.

Support Groups

There are a number of organizations that can provide you with peer support including:

Helpful Reading Materials

Beyond Addiction by Dr. Jeffrey Foote is a great resource with many suggestions on how to help. He includes ways to have conversations with your friend without it landing on deaf ears or resulting in an argument. He also shares ways to encourage healthy behaviors to replace the unhealthy ones your friend has been engaging in.

Last, but not least is a wonderful article that Fred Muench, our president, wrote on how to help a friend whose child is struggling with substance use. A big part of help is listening and being present.

Remember that it likely took quite a bit of time for these problems to develop and it may take time for the situation to improve. Be patient and be kind to yourself.