Going off to college or even experiencing new freedoms in high school is exhilarating. After years of getting told where and when to go, you’re able to make your own decisions and do what you want.

For a lot of people, this is when they start to make the decisions that make their lives better. They start a new job or get involved in their community. Other people don’t make the best decisions with their freedom, and that’s where life begins to get sticky.

When there’s no one around to say no, it’s easier to feel pressured into trying things, even if you think you’ll only do it once. That’s one of the ways people get sucked into lifelong addictions, especially at a young age.

If you think you have a friend who’s an addict, read on to figure out your next steps.

1. First, understand the addiction

Addiction isn’t like turning a light switch on and off — one day you’re an alcoholic, and the next day you start saying no to drinking. It’s something that will follow you around your entire life so understand if your friend is addicted to something, they won’t win overnight.

The first step to motivating an addict to get help is to learn as much as you can about what they’re struggling with.

According to a Columbia University study, an estimated 40 million Americans struggle with an addiction to at least one substance. Not only is your friend not alone, but they’re also not uncommon.

Addictions form in anyone, no matter what background they have or what their personality is like. It’s not a character flaw to have an addiction. It just means they need an extra hand to help them get back on their feet when they realize it’s time for a change.

2. Then check the symptoms

The symptoms of addictions may seem standard, but they’re displayed by people differently. They may abuse legal drugs before starting illegal ones, or they might maintain their typical personality and lifestyle while they’re dealing with their addiction.

You can learn to spot the signs and symptoms that are common across the board, and then compare them to what’s going on with your friend.

Another thing that’s critical to recognize is not everyone looks like the stereotypical addict. The one who shuts themselves away from everyone and will do whatever is necessary to feed their addiction.

Some addicts are people who enjoy going out to college parties, or they might even be your best friend who you think you know better than anyone else.

If anything looks or feel suspicious, it’s okay to question yourself. It’s natural not to want to do anything that might hurt the relationship you have with your friend or to seem like the crazy one who just doesn’t want to have any fun.

Especially if you’ve read things such as reports that Gen Z kids are less likely to addicts. At the end of the day, if your concern is there, it’s worth checking your friend’s actions against the symptoms of addiction and then bringing it up with them.

3. Confront them out of love

When you get to the point where you want to talk with your friend to help them recognize their addiction, it can get confusing.

The wrong way to do it is out of anger or fear. If you approach anyone with a negative or combative attitude, no good will come out of your interaction. Instead, confront your friend out of love.

Let them know that you’ve been looking out for them and want what’s best and that you’re in it for the long run since recovery can take months or even years to get back to a stable place.

When you’re young, there’s almost an expectation that you go out with friends and have fun at parties. If you do those things and you're not also experimenting with drugs and alcohol, people might think you're the one who's not up for fun as your friends are

But that fun can quickly turn to addiction, and that’s why it’s so important that young people learn to spot addiction and face it. Be there for your friends if you think they need to go into recovery, and help them realize that it will be a long journey, but it’s possible.