Thought: ‘More is achieved by a soft smile than a hard word.’
Addictions UK uses Twitter to share inspirational Thoughts every day. This article is based on one of them. Follow us at @addictionsuk.
Stick or carrot? It’s the age-old dilemma. Do you get a better response from people by showing them the consequences of failure or the benefits of success? Should you threaten or reward?
Truth be told most of us need both.
The first step for someone addicted to drugs or alcohol or anything else is to realise how unmanageable life has become and that, without change, things can only get worse.
There’s also a whole separate debate, for another time and place, about the requirement for punishment and deterrence.
But whatever the need for facing both truth and consequences, the fact remains that we all respond to encouragement.
Before someone will take action it is an absolute necessity that they can see that there are benefits. If anyone was ever made to do anything purely from fear then nasty, big questions hang over the motives and morals of all concerned.
There’s a time for warnings and even for threats but, on balance, it’s encouragement and support that gets the results.
Please contact us now if you need help with recovery from any addiction and especially if you are seeking home-based treatment.
