Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

4 ways to support someone living with alcohol or substance use disorder

Miles J. Varn, MD
Conditions
August 16, 2021
Share
Tweet
Share

The pandemic has made the difficult work of recovering from alcohol or substance use disorder even harder. To deal with the heightened anxiety, depression, and stress caused by the pandemic, more people have turned to alcohol and substances. In addition, it’s been harder for people in recovery to stay on track when many in-person treatment options were limited, and they had to rely on online resources and meetings.

The National Center for Health Statistics recently released new data that puts the growing toll of substance use in stark relief. In the U.S. in 2020, 93,000 people died as a result of drug overdoses, a 30 percent increase over the number of overdose deaths in 2019. The increase is the largest since the U.S. started collecting data on drug-related deaths.

How family and friends can help support recovery

Consistent, quality treatment and support from family and friends are key elements in a successful recovery process. They also can help reduce the risk of an overdose or the development of other health problems related to substance use like heart, liver, and immune system problems, and an increased risk for diseases like hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS.

These four steps, while admittedly not always easy, can help you support people you care about who are struggling with active substance use or recovery:

1. Educate yourself. Substance use disorder is a complex condition. In addition, the situation is often complicated by the fact that the person is also living with a mental health issue like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, or PTSD and is using substances and/or alcohol to self-medicate. The more you learn about substance use disorder, the treatments available, and how you can help combat the stigma surrounding substance use disorder and mental health, the better prepared you’ll be to support your family member or friend. Focus on evidence-based sources of information. Some good resources include your primary care physician, a licensed mental health professional, and non-profit organizations like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) or the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). While some for-profit rehabilitation centers provide evidence-based information on their websites, it’s best to be more cautious with these sources since some are heavily focused on their bottom line rather than safely achieving positive outcomes for clients.

2. Communicate without judgment. Talk with your family member or friend and ask her or him to share their experiences with substance use, what triggers them, how they feel about their use of substances, and how they feel it’s affecting their health, mental wellbeing, life, and relationships. Your discussions should be non-judgmental so that they’ll be comfortable opening up to you and be willing to continue the conversation over time.

3. Help them learn coping skills. Stress often triggers substance and alcohol use in people living with this disorder. Unfortunately, stress is an unavoidable, integral part of life. The key is to encourage your friend or family member to build skills that help them cope with and better manage stress, which may help them avoid turning to substances to cope. As a first step, let them know you’re available to talk when they’re overwhelmed or want to vent their frustrations or worries. You can also help them explore other stress management skills like meditation, yoga and tai chi, guided imagery, breath focus, and defusing stress through exercise. You can support them as they build these coping skills by being their partner in learning and practicing the techniques.

4. Encourage them to seek treatment. If they’re not already in recovery or have gotten off track with their recovery, encourage them to discuss their substance use and potential treatment approaches with their primary care physician or a mental health professional. If they need and want support, you could offer to attend the appointment with them. If they’re living with a co-occurring mental health issue, help them find a provider who can offer treatment for their anxiety, depression, PTSD, or other issues as well as their substance use disorder.

Miles J. Varn is chief executive officer, PinnacleCare, and can be reached on LinkedIn.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Redefining traditional gender roles and the importance of a growth mindset [PODCAST]

August 15, 2021 Kevin 1
…
Next

I’m vaccinated and positive for COVID-19

August 16, 2021 Kevin 7
…

Tagged as: Psychiatry

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Redefining traditional gender roles and the importance of a growth mindset [PODCAST]
Next Post >
I’m vaccinated and positive for COVID-19

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Miles J. Varn, MD

  • Why sharing your complete medical history with your clinicians is important

    Miles J. Varn, MD
  • Managing key risk factors may lower your dementia risk

    Miles J. Varn, MD
  • Caregiver? Learn how to support older relatives at doctor’s appointments.

    Miles J. Varn, MD

Related Posts

  • The pandemic’s epidemic: opioid use disorder and subpar suboxone access   

    Jonathan Staloff, MD and Claire Simon, MD
  • Stop criminalizing prenatal substance abuse

    Jolene Kokroko
  • Emotional support animals for health care providers

    Brittany Ladson
  • To those looking to support their black colleagues

    Jasmine Arrington
  • Medicaid expansion for postpartum support

    Kimi Chernoby, MD, JD and Claire Dowell
  • Cutting the red tape with buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder

    Christina Kinnevey, MD

More in Conditions

  • Why PSA levels alone shouldn’t define your prostate cancer risk

    Martina Ambardjieva, MD, PhD
  • Reframing chronic pain and dignity: What a pain clinic teaches us about MAiD and chronic suffering

    Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD
  • America’s ER crisis: Why the system is collapsing from within

    Kristen Cline, BSN, RN
  • Why timing, not surgery, determines patient survival

    Michael Karch, MD
  • Why psychotherapy works and why psychotherapy fails

    Peggy A. Rothbaum, PhD
  • How oral health silently affects your heart, brain, and body

    Charles Reinertsen, DMD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why timing, not surgery, determines patient survival

      Michael Karch, MD | Conditions
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Why point-of-care ultrasound belongs in every emergency department triage [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why PSA levels alone shouldn’t define your prostate cancer risk

      Martina Ambardjieva, MD, PhD | Conditions
    • How to handle chronically late patients in your medical practice

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • Reframing chronic pain and dignity: What a pain clinic teaches us about MAiD and chronic suffering

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • How early meetings and after-hours events penalize physician-mothers

      Samira Jeimy, MD, PhD and Menaka Pai, MD | Physician
    • Why medicine must evolve to support modern physicians

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why timing, not surgery, determines patient survival

      Michael Karch, MD | Conditions
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Why point-of-care ultrasound belongs in every emergency department triage [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why PSA levels alone shouldn’t define your prostate cancer risk

      Martina Ambardjieva, MD, PhD | Conditions
    • How to handle chronically late patients in your medical practice

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • Reframing chronic pain and dignity: What a pain clinic teaches us about MAiD and chronic suffering

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • How early meetings and after-hours events penalize physician-mothers

      Samira Jeimy, MD, PhD and Menaka Pai, MD | Physician
    • Why medicine must evolve to support modern physicians

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...