(PRLEAP.COM) Pyramid Healthcare, a provider of drug and alcohol rehabilitation treatment programs at multiple locations throughout Pennsylvania, has recently published a slide show about how to talk to someone about his/her addiction. Addiction to drugs and/or alcohol is a disease that affects not only an individual, but his/her entire social network – friends, family and co-workers often suffer silently alongside the person with the addiction. Even so, talking to a loved one about his/her addiction can be challenging. The slide show provides some background on addiction in the U.S., how individuals can start a serious conversation about addiction, and advice on how to communicate effectively and what to expect when speaking to or interacting with an addict.

Addiction is a growing problem, and it negatively impacts the health and relationships of families across America every day. As the slide show reports: "Every year, more than 20,000 individuals die as a result of illicit drug use. In the past 20 years, the number of people living with a drug addiction in the United States has increased by 500 percent." Addiction is nondiscriminatory and highly prevalent, yet the disease is still widely misunderstood among the general public.

Below are a few helpful tips for talking to an addict about a drug and/or alcohol problem and how he/she can get professional help:

Always be consistent - Convey a consistent message to an addict through your words and behaviors so that he/she knows what to expect from you. For example, don't express concern over an alcohol addiction and then go out drinking together. Seek information on helpful resources - Addicts may feel too ashamed or fearful to look for help themselves. Take the initiative by helping him/her research options for counseling or treatment, like finding a local drug and alcohol detox and/or rehab center. Set personal limits - Let the addict know how much his/her behavior bothers or affects you. It is important to let the addict know that you will not continue your relationship if he/she is unwilling to change or address the addiction.</li>

For more strategies on how to talk to someone about an addiction, see the entire slide show: http://pyramidhealthcarepa.com/content/slide-show-how-talk-someone-about-addiction

Pyramid Healthcare offers a full continuum of care for adults and adolescents addicted to drugs and/or alcohol in rehabilitation facilities located throughout Pennsylvania. Addiction treatment programs include detoxification, residential inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment, halfway housing, transitional housing, and methadone/Suboxone maintenance therapy. To learn more about talking to a loved one about addiction or how committing to a rehabilitation program can help you overcome your addiction to drugs and/or alcohol, contact a Pyramid Healthcare representative at http://pyramidhealthcarepa.com/ or call 1-888-694-9996.