When a family member or friend is undergoing treatment for a substance abuse addiction or is just beginning their road to recovery in an outpatient rehab program, it can be intimidating to understand your role in their journey. Understanding how to assist someone in addiction treatment and encouraging them through their path can go a long way because recovery can be a lengthy and frequently rocky road.
Supporting Someone in Addiction Recovery is Essential
Your loved one still needs your support even if they have previously received therapy or are in the recovery phase. Numerous specialists in the field of addiction treatment recognize the relevance of holistic recovery during the rehab process and place a strong emphasis on the benefits of emotional healing as well as the support of family and friends. You play a significant role in your loved one’s long-term healing.
How to Help Someone in Recovery
There are various ways you might support your loved one in their rehabilitation. Learn about how to encourage someone’s recovery and sobriety.
Educate Yourself
It can be difficult to see someone you love continue to abuse drugs or alcohol in spite of the obvious negative effects. Understanding the science of addiction can help you to better understand why addiction is so difficult to conquer and how you can best support your loved one throughout the early stages of recovery.
Many treatment centers provide instructional materials to families that explain how addiction develops and how to spot its symptoms. Investigate these options and ask questions as you go. Your ability to notice and respond to the struggles and victories your loved one will inevitably experience during their recovery will increase as you gain a deeper understanding of addiction.
You should familiarize yourself with the mechanisms underlying addiction, as well as the warning signals of relapse and your loved one’s relapse prevention strategy. Even though relapse is frequently a part of rehabilitation, prompt intervention is essential for assisting your loved one in getting back on track.
Motivate Them to Enter (and Stay In) Treatment
It’s simple to think that the difficult part has ended when your friend or family member finally decides to enter rehab. In reality, your loved one’s decision to continue receiving therapy is probably one they will wrestle with every day. Encourage active participation and regular attendance in therapy to keep them committed. Accept an invitation to attend and participate completely in the sessions if family therapy is suggested by your loved one’s healthcare professional.
As they transition into daily life after treatment, your loved one might find the change difficult or overwhelming. Community, according to many experts, is an important part of recovery and reintegration. Urge them to go to alumni gatherings and support groups so they can have a feeling of community-even an outpatient program might help them.
Additionally, you can demonstrate your support by going to support groups with them (if it’s permitted) and by going with them to sober events or family-friendly alumni gatherings as their “plus one.”
Establish Healthy Boundaries
You must establish limits if you want to aid someone in recovery moving forward. Make sure your own emotional and physical health are respected, and be explicit with your loved one regarding what you will and will not accept.
The best way to help someone in recovery is to make them a promise of steadfast love while also making it plain that your support is conditional on them maintaining their sobriety, respecting your boundaries, or receiving treatment in the case of a relapse.
Be Sincere and Honest
Speak out if you see any worrying conduct that leads you to believe there has been a relapse. Be direct and honest while addressing the issue to let your loved one appreciate how serious the issue is. While you might want to find justifications for certain actions or avoid conflict, being silent will simply encourage your loved one to deny or keep things private.
By speaking up and being an attentive listener when your loved one feels comfortable to do the same, you may create a space for open conversation. When openness is valued, your loved one will be more inclined to speak out and confide in you about their difficulties during the early stages of recovery.
Eliminate Triggers
Being around alcohol, narcotics and other triggers can be anxiety-inducing and intensely appealing for many people in recovery. It will be easier for your loved one to concentrate on healing ideas and good thinking if these triggers are removed from their immediate surroundings.
If your loved one spends time at your house, be sure to get rid of all drugs and alcohol there. It should ideally be devoid of any enticing substances. Make sure any prescription medications are properly disposed of or stored away if you have any. Offer to assist your loved one in purging their home of any alluring substances or drug-related accessories.
Along with reducing the likelihood of relapse occurring at home, you can assist your loved one in avoiding potentially upsetting social situations. These could include visits to bars or clubs where drinking and using drugs are common. You can assist your loved one in practicing conversations or developing invitation responses if they feel awkward turning down a night out.
Discover New Interests Together
Finding something that a person enjoys or is enthusiastic about is one of the best things you can do to support them in their early stages of recovery. It can be a terrific starting point for their long-term recovery, and you could discover something you like as well.
Find joint activities that don’t involve drugs. Look for activities that you and your partner will both enjoy and that will support the notion that having fun and connecting with others while sober is still feasible. There are many enjoyable activities you may do with your loved one, including hiking, cooking, skating, performing music, enrolling in a class, and going to the movies or a show. Spending time on these pursuits might also help your loved one manage their emotional health and reduce cravings. This encourages loving connection, gives constructive outlets for unpleasant emotions, and can help restore confidence.
Get Healthy Together
You can support someone who is in recovery by assisting them in getting healthier, in addition to enjoying pleasurable things together. Long-term drug use can have a negative influence on someone’s mental and physical health, however now that your loved one is sober, they can begin to recover.
Establishing a healthy routine might be difficult for your loved one to do alone. Join them at the gym or go outside and exercise together. Take a yoga class or go for a walk outside to unwind. Strive to eat nutritious meals and cut out needless junk food if they share a home with you. You may hold each other accountable by making a joint commitment to improving your health.
The Bottom Line
Your loved one has gone through an extremely trying time mentally, emotionally, and physically. It can be challenging to make the switch from the regimented setting of a treatment center to regular life. Your loved one is essentially starting over and creating a new life. This procedure may seem overwhelming and distressing. Additionally, they must learn how to deal with all of the potential triggers because there is a high chance of relapse.
Now more than ever, they require your support. There are many ways to aid a loved one in their rehabilitation to ease this transition. To learn more, reach out to the caring team at Aquila Recovery Clinic today.