It isn’t easy to get up the courage to talk to someone about drug use — especially if it’s someone you really care about. Here are some ways to get your conversation going:

Start off by talking about how you feel.

• “I care about you.”

• “I feel like you’ve been distant lately.”

• “I’m worried about your health. You don’t look well.”

Ask if it’s okay to talk about their drug use.

• “I know this can be a hard thing to face. Is it okay if we talk about it?”

• “You said you feel like you’re losing it. Want to talk about it?”

• “We could talk about some ways to get help. Would you be into that?”

• “I know you’re in a lot of pain. Do you want to talk about some other ways to get your pain under control?”

Offer support.

• “How can I support you?”

• “I know this is going to be a long road, but I’m here for you.”

• “When you feel like using, call me.”

• “Do you want to talk about what to do next?”

Talk about next steps.

• “You seem to have some good ideas for how to get help. What can I do to make this process easier?”

• “You mentioned Narconon and calling a hotline. Which of those seems like a good next step?”

• “It seems like you’re interested in going to talk to someone together. I’d be happy to go with you.”

Go to Allies in Recovery for more tips on how to talk to a loved one.