We all hope that the people we know and care about will do well in life, but alas, this isn’t always possible. Life can be pretty complicated at times, and there are always people who fall through the cracks and start moving in the wrong direction. Hopefully, this flirtation with mistakes is just that -a flirtation and they come back to the straight and narrow soon. But sometimes it goes on for longer, and it becomes clear that you have to do something. Below, we take a look at a few ways you can help a friend that’s going down the wrong path.
Speak Up
It’s much easier to say nothing at all and to hope that everything just works itself out over time. But if you keep on thinking that way, and things don’t improve, then you’ll kick yourself at one stage or another. Remember, being a friend doesn’t mean just enjoying the good moments; it’s sticking around when the going gets tough. So say something. A little word might just give your friend the wake-up call that they need.
Be There For Them
It’s easy for people who are going through difficult moments to adopt an “it’s us against the world” attitude. They think everyone’s out to get them; sometimes, they’ll be correct, but mostly it’s an incorrect position. However, it’s still best that you avoid the tough love approach if they begin talking in this way. Just be there for them. Of course, you should set boundaries; this isn’t about being a doormat. It’s about letting them know that they have a friend in the world who won’t leave them.
Finding Additional Help and Support
You want to help your friend in any way that you can, but the truth is that you may not have the expertise and knowledge needed to help them through whatever it is they’re going through. But there will be other people that can help. Being a friend might involve conducting research to see what support is available. This could be anything from finding the nearest heroin addiction treatment center to putting your friend in touch with a trained psychologist. When a person is going through a tough period, they’re often incapable of doing the things that would help them to get to a better space. This is where you can come in.
Positive Love and Attention
People don’t just fall into bad situations. Often, it’s because they’re listening to the darker side of their mind, the one that pushes them down and tells them that they’re not worthy. The person can lose all perspective, and forget all their positive qualities. You can function to remind me that while, yes, they’ve got a dark side, they’re also pretty awesome in other ways. It’s all about bringing this other side to the forefront. You can do this by simply building up their confidence through your words, or by gently nudging them to put themselves in places where you know that they would succeed.
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