The short answer
Talk to them when they are sober, calmly and without accusation, about what you have seen and how it affects you. Do not cover for them, pay their debts or threaten what you will not do. Addiction is a medical condition that responds to treatment: a psychiatrist's assessment is the right first step, and treatment can be at home or, when someone cannot stop safely at home, in a residential programme. Never chain, beat or lock someone up to make them stop, and do not stop heavy alcohol or sedative use suddenly without a doctor, because withdrawal can cause fits.
Talk to us about residential treatmentMedically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed . This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.
It is common, and it is not a moral failing
The 2018 national drug use survey found that one in seven Nigerians aged 15 to 64 had used a drug other than alcohol or tobacco in the past year, about 14.3 million people, and that one in five of them had a drug use disorder. Cannabis was the most common, followed by tramadol and other opioid painkillers, and codeine or dextromethorphan cough syrups. Alcohol problems are separate from these figures.
Addiction means losing control over using something, to the point where it harms you. It often starts as a way to cope with stress, pain, poor sleep, low mood or trauma, and the body then needs more to get the same effect and reacts badly without it. Shame keeps families silent, which keeps people out of treatment. It is treatable.
Signs a family member may be addicted
- Using more, or for longer, than they meant to, and failing to cut down
- Changes in sleep, appetite, weight or how they look after themselves
- Mood swings, irritability, secrecy or new friends they will not talk about
- Money or valuables going missing, borrowing, or debts
- Falling behind at school or work, or losing a job
- Shaking, sweating, restlessness or sickness when they have not used, which is withdrawal
- Bottles of cough syrup, tablet strips, foil or rolling papers among their things
How to talk to them
Choose a quiet time when they are sober, and one or two people they trust rather than a crowd.
- Describe what you have seen and how it affects you, using "I" rather than "you always"
- Listen more than you speak, and ask what they think is going on
- Say you will help them get treatment, and have a next step ready, such as a booked assessment
- Expect denial the first time, and keep the door open rather than giving up
- Agree as a family what you will and will not do, and keep to it: no cash, no covering up, no rescuing from every consequence
What not to do
Do not chain, beat, starve or lock someone up, and do not take them anywhere that does. It is harmful and it does not treat addiction. Do not give them sedatives or someone else's medicines to calm them down. Do not stop heavy drinking or regular use of sleeping tablets or similar sedatives suddenly at home: withdrawal from alcohol and sedatives can cause fits and confusion, and NICE advises that dependent drinkers are withdrawn under medical supervision.
How treatment works
Treatment starts with an assessment: what they use, how much, for how long, their physical health, and any depression, anxiety or trauma behind it. The plan that follows may include:
- Medically supervised withdrawal (detox) where stopping is unsafe without it
- Talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy, and relapse prevention
- Treatment for depression, anxiety, psychosis or sleep problems alongside
- Family sessions, because recovery is easier when the home changes too
- Outpatient care while living at home, for many people
- A residential programme for those who cannot stop safely at home, or have tried and relapsed
Rehab in Lagos: what it costs on Mezo
Mezo's residential addiction programme in Lekki runs for 3 months, with a medical and psychiatric team, detox, therapy, family sessions and aftercare planning. The full price is on the addiction treatment page; in a shared en-suite room it is ₦3,080,000 a month, or ₦9,240,000 for the programme, payable month by month. Admission starts with a confidential call and a free self-assessment, and nobody is admitted against their will.
Get help now
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, go to the nearest emergency department or call 112. To talk to someone now, call the SURPIN suicide prevention helpline on 0800 078 7746 (free, 24 hours). Go to an emergency department straight away for a suspected overdose, slow or noisy breathing, someone who cannot be woken, a fit, chest pain, or severe confusion, shaking or seeing things during withdrawal.
What it costs on Mezo
One fixed price, paid online.
Common questions
Can I force a family member into rehab?
A residential programme needs the person's own agreement, because treatment done to someone rarely holds. A family can still speak to a psychiatrist about how to raise it, and where there is an immediate danger to life, emergency care comes first.
How much is rehab in Nigeria?
It varies widely between government, faith-based and private centres, so ask exactly what is included: detox, a psychiatrist, therapy, meals and aftercare. On Mezo, the residential programme in Lekki starts at ₦3,080,000 a month, with every item listed on the addiction treatment page.
How do I help someone addicted to codeine or tramadol?
The same way as any addiction: talk, then get an assessment. Do not stop large regular doses suddenly without a doctor, because withdrawal can be very unpleasant and, with tramadol, can cause fits. A psychiatrist can plan a safe reduction.
Is it addiction or just a phase?
If use is continuing despite harm to health, school, work, money or relationships, or the person cannot cut down when they try, it is more than a phase. An assessment answers the question either way.
Who helps the family?
You do not have to manage this alone. Family sessions are part of good treatment, and a psychiatrist can advise you even before your loved one agrees to be seen.
The procedures
Related health guides
Also useful
More patient guides
A confidential first call
Families usually call first. The admissions team listens, sends a free self-assessment, and explains every step and every fee before anything is paid.
Talk to us in confidenceSources and further reading
The guidelines and patient information this page is checked against. Care in Nigeria follows the same evidence; what differs is the price and where it is done.
- Drug addiction: getting help. NHS. Patient information.
- Addiction: what is it?. NHS. Patient information.
- Alcohol-use disorders: diagnosis, assessment and management of harmful drinking (high-risk drinking) and alcohol dependence (CG115). National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Clinical guideline.
- Drug misuse in over 16s: psychosocial interventions (CG51). National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Clinical guideline.
- Drug Use in Nigeria 2018. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, with the National Bureau of Statistics and the Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse, 2018. Official publication.
Links last checked 5 November 2026.
Medical disclaimer: This guide is general information and does not replace advice from your own doctor. Where your centre's instructions differ from this guide, follow theirs.