Friends & Family - Pride Institute

The disease of addiction affects not only addicts, but also the people who love and care about them. Family members and friends often experience worry and pain, while addicts deny that there are any problems. The common result is a “conspiracy of silence.” A tacit agreement to ignore the problem is only a temporary solution, as alcohol and/or drugs continue to damage the health and degrade the quality of life for addicts. Relationships with friends and family are often strained or even severed during the progression of the disease.

Friends and family are critical to the process of recovery from addiction. You are not the cause of your loved one’s addiction to drugs and alcohol. There is nothing you can do to control someone else’s behavior. You do not have the ability to cure the problem. Waiting is not a solution, because addictive behavior will not improve without intervention and treatment. You can help someone you love get better by refusing to ignore their addiction, refusing to accept their behavior and encouraging them to get help,

It is a common misconception that a person with addiction must “hit bottom” before seeking treatment. If someone has a problem with drinking or drug use and wants to get help for it, treatment can be effective.

PRIDE Institute can help you help the person you love. Call Information and Admissions at 800-54-PRIDE for information on programs and for referrals to local resources, including interventionists who can assist you.

Self-Assessment

Drug and/or Alcohol abuse and dependence is a chronic disease that gradually damages the lives and health of many LGBT people. It is common for the progress of the disease to be unnoticed by the person with the problem. Family and friends are often the first to sense that a loved one has a problem with drugs or alcohol.

Do you wonder whether your loved one has a problem with drugs or alcohol? Here are five questions that may help you look at your loved ones behavior.

Note: This self assessment is for information purposes only. It does not replace a formal evaluation by a medical or mental health professional.

Has your loved one lost or gained weight recently without a change in diet?
Has your loved one become annoyed when you mention their drug or alcohol use?
Has your loved one become distant or completely unavailable?
Has your loved one become disinterested in usual activities?
Has your loved one become noticeably paranoid?
Has your loved one continued to use drugs or alcohol in spite of suffering significant consequences (legal, medical, social, etc.)?
Has your loved one mentioned that he/she is experiences thoughts of suicide?

If you have answered yes to question #7, we recommend that you promptly consult a licensed medical or mental health professional. If you can answer “Yes” to any of these questions, you may benefit from taking a closer look at your alcohol use. We can help.

Call PRIDE Institute Information and Admissions at 800-54-PRIDE.

How PRIDE Can Help

PRIDE Institute has been helping lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT) begin their recovery from addiction and mental health issues since 1986. Help begins from the first call. Professional counselors provide information and conduct assessments to help clients understand the extent of the problem and to provide treatment options.

Once a clients admit to a PRIDE Institute program, they receive the medical, psychiatric, counseling and case management services they need to begin their recovery and to continue their recovery journey after completing treatment.

Friends and family are critical to the recovery process. For clients in longer-term residential programs, treatment can include family and significant others.

PRIDE Institute can help you help the people you love. Call Information and Admissions at 800-54-PRIDE for information on programs and for referrals to local resources, including professional interventionists that may be able to assist you.

Resources

The following links provide useful information for family and friends who are concerned about someone’s drinking or drug use:*

Call 800-54-PRIDE for further information and referrals.

*Information on these sites is deemed reliable but is outside the control of PRIDE Institute.