The most important thing to know about supporting an addict is how not to support him. Who pays his car note? Who helps him with the rent? Who’s driving him to work? Who’s making excuses or lying for him? If you or someone you know is doing any of these things, you’re not helping him – you’re only enabling his disease to continue to take over his life.

The only way to help him is to say, “I’m not going to support your demise,” and find him the best help you can – a recovery center with professional, experienced staff and counselors. Help him by providing links to professional assistance, but don’t lift even one finger to support or enable his addiction. This is an extremely difficult step – with time, you become addicted to enabling – but the only way to help him is to stop helping him.

Once you’ve identified his addiction and stopped enabling it, it’s time to hold an intervention. He needs professional care and counseling. So, you might be asking yourself, 'How do I hold an intervention?'