5 Steps to Support Addiction Recovery
Families, friends, spouses, partners, children, parents, and anyone who loves and cares about someone who has battled addiction and substance abuse disorders knows the challenges and heartbreak that addiction can bring. Today we take a moment to discuss 5 steps that those who love and care for an addict can take to help themselves and support the addiction recovery of their loved one.
1. Set clear boundaries and stick with them. Boundaries are imperative for anyone who love, cares for or interacts with someone struggling with addiction in any way. Simply stated, boundaries involve a clear understanding of what some are willing or capable of and what they are unwilling or un-capable of.
Think of boundaries as the policies or employee handbook stating the guidelines and expectations of the relationship
Be specific with the boundaries as well as the resulting action… and.. here is the hard part… stick with the boundaries. The follow-through is just as important as stating the boundary itself.
2. Understand the role that you and other family members play in the addictive behavior. Addiction is a disease highly connected with the family system, and oftentimes, families play a role in the addictive process. Family members may be enabling, contributing to, or impacted by the addiction cycle in ways that they may be unaware of. Understanding personal roles in the addictive cycle can be helpful and healing for both the addict and the family member. This can be challenging and emotional work, and many people find that this work may be aided by the support of a counselor or mental health therapist with knowledge in addiction.
3. Have resources on hand. One of the most commonly heard phrases in addiction recovery is that the addict must be ready to change, and this is critically true. Sobriety requires significant dedication to complete life changes and addressing multiple levels of physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual wellness. These decisions take time. But if and when your loved one is ready for the support it may be helpful to be ready to make that path to support as easy and efficient as possible. Having some resources or knowledge of programs that may be a good fit for the needs of your loved one may help to minimize barriers when they are ready to take the next step to seek help
Things to consider:
What treatment centers take the insurance of your family member?
Will your family member need a program with medical accommodation of any kind? (Some treatment centers are able to treat co-occurring medical concerns like diabetes, auto-immune concerns, eating distorted, disease/ chronic illness and some are not. )
Would physical space from home be hurtful or helpful?
If you are interested in learning more about types of treatment centers and things to consider, please visit our previous blog series that takes a deeper dive into addiction treatment and counseling services.
Addiction Treatment: Levels of care
4. Find ways to be present but disconnected. The nature of addiction involves significant patterns, cycles, and repetition of addictive behaviors. These can be incredibly challenging for family and friends who may feel emotionally impacted by all of these ups and downs of the addiction. Finding ways to disconnect while remaining present is needed to create emotional stability for those who love and care for those struggling with addiction. Disconnection may include things like, not tracking addictive behaviors or a number of relapses, minimizing conversations directly related to the addictive behaviors, and engaging in other parts of life and social connection outside of the relationships formed through the addiction community or connected with the addictive behavior. A strong quality of life outside of the relationships with the addicted person will increase quality of life and relational health with the addicted person.
5. Do your own healing work. Those who love and care for an addict are exposed to their own unique set of stress, traumas, and emotional challenges. Furthermore, studies show that the effects of substance use on family members have clinically significant impacts on the mental health of the family members involved. (Read the summary of that study here.)
Take the steps to prioritize your own mental health, wellness, and healing. This work can include:
Participating in evidence-based support groups like Al-anon to learn skills and hear from others in similar situations. (Click here to learn more about these programs and find a group in your area)
Participate in your own mental health counseling services to gain, understand your own emotional health needs, manage your stress symptoms and address any person or secondary trauma.
If you love and care for someone that is battling addiction, caring for yourself is a needed step. We cannot help another in need of support with their hurts and challenges without the appropriate support for our own hurts and challenges.
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If you love and care for someone that is battling addiction, we are here to support you. Learn more about how counseling services may help you in your journey to healing as someone who loves and cares about someone struggling with addiction; our team is ready to help. Our Arlington, TX-based counseling office offers in-person coursing services for those in Dallas, Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Arlington, Mansfield, and surrounding areas. We also offer online therapy services for all Texas residents, with additional access to Spanish Counseling services, Trauma therapy, EMDR therapy, and more.
