Even though addiction is prevalent all over the world, the truth is, that not everyone will get addicted.

If someone in your family is addicted, and you want to prevent the remaining members from following suit, the best solution is to prevent it.

Similarly, if no one in your family is addicted, and you want to stop it from ever happening, preventing it is the way to go. In this piece, you will learn the important steps to preventing addiction in your family.

Understand the concept of addiction

One of the best ways to prevent something is to understand what it means. You need to make your family understand that addiction is divided into two categories, behavioral and substance addiction.

Therefore, if they have any addictive habit apart from drugs and alcohol, it falls under behavioral addiction. Additionally, you need to teach them how addiction develops.

Most times, it occurs when we get so used to a habit that we enjoy it without realizing the dangerous effects that come with them.

Teach them to identify triggers/temptations

People who are addicted can easily give in to their addictive habit anytime they are faced with triggers. Hence, you need to teach your family how to spot these triggers so that they can avoid them.

Some of these triggers could be people, places, events, etc. If you want your family to live a life free of addiction, learning to identify these triggers is important.

Keep a healthy life

Sometimes, people get addicted because of a long history of unhealthy living. It is important to encourage each member of your family to inculcate healthy habits. This includes eating a nutritious diet, exercising regularly, taking enough water, sleeping for 7-8 hours, etc.

Overall, it is important to get your family members to open up to you. An addictive habit can be easily formed in secrecy. When they begin to keep secrets from you about their activities, they can addicted in the long run.

One of the painful things to discover is knowing that your family member is addicted. Although not everyone knows the signs to watch out for that tell someone is addicted. When your family member is addicted, they might not behave like the same person you used to know.

Therefore, you need to be prepared for a change in behavior, character, and also some physical signs. This would help you know how to assist them to break free from addiction.

Here are some ways to know if your family member is addicted

Mood swings

One of the common signs of addiction is mood swings. You will notice that they are unable to manage their emotions.

They can suddenly appear overly excited and the next minute, they are looking moody or depressed. If you notice that a calm person is always hyper, or someone active is looking calm, then addiction might be in play.

Private behavior

Addicted individuals prefer to keep to themselves instead of staying around people. They know that if they spend too much time with people, someone might find out about their addiction.

Hence, they develop a social stigma that allows them to withdraw from their relationships. You will notice that their doors are always locked, and they will be secretive about places they visit.

Overall appearance

When someone is addicted, it means that they have been abusing substances or undergoing some unhealthy behaviors for a long time.

If an individual is addicted to substances, there are lots of physical signs that you can notice.

For instance, they might have bloodshot eyes, rapid weight gain/loss, lack of personal grooming, slurred speech, persistent itching, regular sniffing, etc.

When you notice that your family member is addicted, remember not to be offensive with your approach. Rather, treat them with love so that they can easily open up to you.

When they have accepted their addiction problem, you can refer them to a rehab or addiction treatment center to begin their sobriety journey.