It may, at times, feel like friends and family members can do little to help the addict at any stage in the process of recognition, diagnosis, treatment and recovery. This is a rather defeatist attitude, however, as just the support of the family members or friends actually being there, talking to the addict can help immensely. The addict is likely to feel guilty, depressed, lonely, isolated and a whole host of other emotions and it helps them a great deal to know that, despite everything he’s done, his friends and family are still there for him. There are a variety of things that friends and family members should know about addiction and the whole process of addiction recovery, from first recognition of the problem, to on-going recovery treatment and counselling. It is this knowledge that can provide the necessary help and support that the addict will need as he embarks upon the long road to recovery.