Abusing substances is a major issue and when someone close to you is struggling with addiction, all you want to do is help. However, even if your intentions are pure and you truly want to help them, there are certain things that you might say or do that can negatively impact them. Here are a few things that you should never say to someone who has an addiction problem.

1. You Will Never Change

There’s nothing more discouraging than telling someone who needs to change that they can never change. Change is needed in everyone’s lives, especially addicts, as it will help them turn their life around. Anyone is capable of change and you shouldn’t plant the idea into someone’s mind that they can’t. With a little guidance and motivation, you can help them become better.

2. Why Can’t You Stop 

Most addicts, if not all of them, have definitely tried to quit their addiction but couldn’t kick this bad habit. It may be simple in your mind and you might not understand why someone can’t quit but it’s actually extremely difficult. Asking this question or anything similar will only lead an addict to believe that they are alone and that you don’t understand how they are feeling.

3. There Is Only One Way to Quit

There’s no “one size fits all” when it comes to alcohol or drug abuse. An addict has many options to choose from when they decide to quit. Kentucky-based addiction treatment specialists from the Brookside Treatment center confirm that everyone can go down the path of recovery in a different way, and reach the exact same outcome, which is becoming sober. There are efficient therapy sessions, counseling, community support, and rehab facilities that can be found all around the world, so make sure that you do your research and seek out guidance to learn more about how to approach the matter correctly.

4. You Should Be Ashamed of Yourself

Showing your support and being there for an addict goes a long way, unlike insults and negative comments. In most cases, an addict abused a certain substance to get away from a problem in their life or a mental illness which led to their addiction. This means that making them feel worse about themselves will only make matters worse.

5. You Are Going to Be Like That For the Rest of Your Life

It is not fair or accurate to make assumptions about someone’s future based on their past, mistakes, or hard times. This kind of negative comments will only result in further complications in an addict’s journey to recovery and might lead them to suicidal thoughts.

6. You Will Only Change if You Hit Rock Bottom

This sentence couldn’t be further from the truth. This gives an addict the idea that they cannot move on from their addiction until they run into trouble or hit rock bottom. This will also feel like you’re subconsciously giving them permission to further prolong their abuse.

While this period of time might be hard on you, you cannot make someone’s addiction about you. It is very unnecessary and not helpful to tell an addict how their addiction is affecting you. It does nothing but pressures them more and in turn, severely worsens their case. Always know that there are some situations where trying to help will only drain you and will not impact the addicted person. Always prioritize your mental health and get professional help for the addicted person as you might do more damage than good if you don’t know what you’re doing.