Start with the person
A useful opening can be simple: ‘I can see this is taking a lot out of you. Would you like me to help find someone who understands it?’ Let them tell you what feels hardest and what kind of help they would accept.
CDC encourages supportive, nonjudgmental conversations about opioid-related problems. Stigma can make people less willing to ask for care. You do not have to agree about every detail to offer practical support.
Offer one manageable piece of help
Ask permission before contacting a clinic or sharing personal information. If they want you involved, find out what they are comfortable discussing together and what they want to keep private.
- Compare two or three providers together rather than sending a long list.
- Help collect product-label photos and write down their questions.
- Sit with them during a call or take notes if they want you to.
- Help plan transport, childcare, time away or a first follow-up appointment.
Ask what support should look like afterward
With your loved one's permission, ask the treatment team what family involvement is useful and how to respond if problems arise. Keep space for your own support, too. Being a partner, parent or friend does not make you responsible for delivering medical care.
If there may be opioid-overdose risk, ask a clinician or pharmacist about naloxone and learn how to use it. If someone is unresponsive or has slow or absent breathing, call 911 and give naloxone if available, following its instructions. Stay until help arrives.
Sources
General opioid-treatment information does not establish that a particular medicine is approved for kratom or 7-OH dependence or that a particular approach fits you. Discuss your goals with a clinician.