If somebody you love is addicted to drugs and is either currently in rehab or has just finished up rehab, you may know that these individuals are often in a difficult state for the first few years of recovery. They may need help from their family members and friends like you. As a result, you need to know how to support a recovering loved one during this period and how to react if and when they relapse. Read on to learn more about how to support a recovering loved one and how you can best educate yourself to aid in their recovery.
How to Support a Recovering Loved One
People who are going through addiction recovery need a lot of help from their loved ones. This is because a support group can help steer them away from abusive drug behaviors when they feel an impulse to use again. As a result, you need to take several steps when learning how to support a recovering loved one, including:
- Educating yourself – Fully understand what your loved one is experiencing
- Help them with relapse triggers – Refocus your loved one if they experience relapse triggers
- Set boundaries – Let your loved one know what you can and cannot do for them
- Always be honest – Do not beat around the bush. Be honest, even if it hurts
- Stop using around them – If you drink or smoke, do not do either around them
- Find sober activities – Find fun things that you can do together
- Be willing to take big steps – Know that you may have to do tough things to help them recover
What kind of tough actions are we talking about in that last step? For example, when a loved one is going through an intervention or rehab and relapse prevention, you need to know when it is time to cut yourself out of your loved one’s life. This step can ultimately help them because it forces them to confront the consequences of their actions. If they see that you are unwilling to put up with their destructive behavior, it might cause them to seriously reconsider their addiction. If you are not ready for this step, there are other steps that you can take to help a recovering loved one through addiction care.
What to Do When a Relapse Occurs
Relapses can feel devastating for people going through recovery. The best way to learn how to support a recovering loved one during this time is to:
- Talk them down from any anxiety they may feel
- Help your loved one’s physical health
- Get them into rehab to support their recovery
- Stay in touch during their relapse treatment
If possible, you may want to visit them during their rehab stay to see how they are doing. If not, you can call them and give them support. Remember that they will need you now more than ever during this period. Also, you should only limit yourself if you are getting emotionally exhausted or if you think isolation would help them with their recovery. You should consult their care specialist first and make sure it is okay with them before you decide to take a step back.
When to Reach Out for Help
If you need help learning how to help a recovering loved one, please reach out to us at Crestview Recovery right away. When you call 866.262.0531, you get access to a high-quality professional who fully understands the difficulties that you are experiencing. We will set your loved one up in partial hospitalization, outpatient, or extended care programs to help them recover. Call us today to talk about the different treatment programs we offer to help get you on the road to recovery.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.
