When you notice that a friend or loved one is abusing alcohol or drugs you will no doubt feel a cocktail of emotions, everything from concern to fear. One thing you need to remember is that addiction is a leading cause of death throughout the entire world and if you are seeing it happen to someone right in front of you, you can, you should, do whatever possible to help.

If you are idly standing by in the side lines hoping, wishing, that someone else will notice the problem and stand up and confront it. Think again. You may be the only one who has taken notice of the substance abuse and because of this the responsibility falls to you.

If you have seen your friend or loved one openly lie, if you have noticed that a bit of money keeps going missing, if you have noticed they are not socializing as much if at all with old friends and/or girlfriends/boyfriends, there is a problem.

Many addicts feel shameful about their bad habit but feel as though there is nothing they can do about it and need to keep using to sustain themselves. This is where dependency begins and big life problems follow. From losing touch with friends and family to not going to work and eventually losing their job, it does not get better over time. Studies have shown that an addict needs real professional help for as little as 3 weeks if they are to reach sobriety and stay there. If you can help, you should be obliged to do so.

If you see a loved one who needs help and they are not going out and getting it for themselves, it is your duty to stand up and help. If at the beginning they refuse your help, you will have to go seek the advice of a professional and potentially hold an intervention, all in the best interest of your friend or family member.

At Step One Recovery you can call our expert counsellors on our Freephone number and they will be happy to talk to you and give you the advice and help you need for your addiction.

Take your first step on the path to recovery with Step One Recovery in Spain.