How to End Addictions
How do they start?
Addictions are the person's (or society's) way of avoiding emotional or physical pain. Pain that often originates from one's childhood (abuse, neglect, untrustworthy caregiving) or trauma at any age.
Addictions show up not only in drug or alcohol abuse but in consumerism, sex, power-seeking, gaming, gambling & self-harm.
The following video explains this well.
First Step
Punishing the addict only adds to their inner pain. Yet not addressing their addiction is equally unhelpful.
It is very important to start by sharing your perspective and sadness/alarm but without judgement.
Second Step
By loving the person and noting how their addiction is preventing a healthy relationship with them, while earnestly conveying through words and actions that you wish this to change a seed is likely being planted.
Being consistent with loving them, not their addiction, waters that seed.
Third Step
It usually takes a community to help a person feel loved and a valued member of it.
Invite others known (or even not known) to the addicted person to participate in reaching out through loving yet accountable ways, loving the person but not their addiction.