How to Help Friends With Prescription Drug Addictions

When someone uses the term "drug addict," the first thought that comes to mind is cocaine, crack or heroine. Prescription drugs rarely cross anyone's mind, yet this type of addiction is more prevalent than people realize. A great misconception is that if it is prescribed, it can't be that addictive--quite the opposite is true. Prescription drugs, such as Lortabs and OyxContin, Valium and Xanax, are extremely addictive, and those who are addicted require as much attention as those addicted to so-called illegal drugs.

Instructions

• 1

  Attend Nar-Anon meetings. Nar-Anon is the equivalent to Al-Anon, and was founded as a means of support for friends and family members of those addicted to narcotics versus alcohol. Before you can help your friend with the addiction, you need to educate yourself about addiction and how you can be the most supportive. At Nar-Anon meetings, you will be joined by a group of people who can share their personal stories and experiences, each offering insight on how to better solve the problem each one of you faces in your loved one's battle with narcotics.

• 2

  Organize an intervention. Most addicts, no matter what they are addicted to, are in some form of denial. An intervention helps to break down their denial and helps them face reality. It is usually headed by a professional interventionist and involves the most important people in the addict's life--close friends and family members. You all work together to help your friend realize that whatever may be going wrong in his life as a result of his addiction is because of his addiction. The end result, if all goes well, is the addict seeking rehab for his addiction.

• 3

  Stop enabling. Anyone close to an addict usually enables him in some way. They give him money for food or rent after he has lost his job as a result of the addiction. They give him a place to stay to avoid the wrath of his parents or mates when he has spent every last penny on drugs. While stopping this behavior may be hard to do, while it may make you feel as though you are being cruel and inhumane, it can actually help the addict realize that if he has no one to turn to for help, he needs to get help and change his life around.

• 4

  Attend meetings with your friend. Once your friend has admitted that he has an addiction to prescription drugs and chooses to attend a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, offer to attend with him. This shows him that you support him and do not want him to tow the line alone. The first meeting can be the hardest and it could help to have a friend by his side.