Everyone knows how hard it can be dealing with someone that is actively in addiction, but what many don’t know is how difficult it can be once the addict is back home and in recovery. One of the biggest fears, understandably, is accidentally causing the addict to slip back into their addiction. Because of this, many resort to tiptoeing around the addict and not giving them the help they need to stay in recovery. Here are five tips for living with a recovering addict.
1.) Get Educated
Getting educated about your loved one’s addiction is one of the most important things you can do to make living with the recovering addict easier. An addict in recovery may often feel misunderstood or alone, which can be a big obstacle in their addiction treatment. Learning exactly what their substance abuse treatment entails is a great way to show a recovering addict that you are engaged in the process of their rehab efforts.
2.) Support Your Loved one’s Sobriety
When a recovering addict comes home from inpatient drug or alcohol treatment Costa Mesa, they will need a lot of support. Support can be provided in any number of ways, but your main focus should be making sure the home is free of any addicting substances. Another way to support your loved one’s sobriety is to encourage them to take up a hobby they can do by themselves or even with your participation. Physical activities are a good choice because they fit in to the complete lifestyle change that is often recommended with substance abuse treatment.
3.) Make Sure You Get Support for Yourself
In offering support for a recovering addict, loved ones often neglect to support themselves. Living with an addict can be emotionally and physically draining. Being aware of this and getting support for yourself will make things much easier to support your loved one during their rehab. There are many support groups, including NA and AA (Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous, respectively) that exist for the express purpose of helping the loved ones of addicts.
4.) Keep Stress Low
Stress is one of the biggest triggers that can cause relapse in a recovering addict. Since stress can come from many different areas, it is important for loved ones of recovering addicts to keep the home as stress free as possible. Resources like counseling, job training and education can help to keep stress low during substance abuse treatment and reduce the likelihood of relapse.
5.) Look Out for Relapse
Unfortunately, relapse does happen with recovering addicts, so it is important to be on the lookout for signs that your loved one may be reengaging in harmful habits. Common signs of a relapse may include speaking fondly of past substance abuse, initiating contact with old friends from their drug abuse days and abrupt changes in behavior. If you believe your loved one may have relapsed, it is important to deal with it in a healthy manner. Suggest that they talk to a counselor or attend a twelve-step meeting, but do not blame or judge them. Reacting negatively could cause them to be defensive and slip further in to relapse.
If there is a recovering addict in your life and you need advice on how to support their sobriety, contact South Coast Counseling for help today. Our experienced and caring staff can help you to make sure that you’re dealing with your loved one’s addiction recovery in a helpful and healthy manner.
1.) Get Educated
Getting educated about your loved one’s addiction is one of the most important things you can do to make living with the recovering addict easier. An addict in recovery may often feel misunderstood or alone, which can be a big obstacle in their addiction treatment. Learning exactly what their substance abuse treatment entails is a great way to show a recovering addict that you are engaged in the process of their rehab efforts.
2.) Support Your Loved one’s Sobriety
When a recovering addict comes home from inpatient drug or alcohol treatment Costa Mesa, they will need a lot of support. Support can be provided in any number of ways, but your main focus should be making sure the home is free of any addicting substances. Another way to support your loved one’s sobriety is to encourage them to take up a hobby they can do by themselves or even with your participation. Physical activities are a good choice because they fit in to the complete lifestyle change that is often recommended with substance abuse treatment.
3.) Make Sure You Get Support for Yourself In offering support for a recovering addict, loved ones often neglect to support themselves. Living with an addict can be emotionally and physically draining. Being aware of this and getting support for yourself will make things much easier to support your loved one during their rehab. There are many support groups, including NA and AA (Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous, respectively) that exist for the express purpose of helping the loved ones of addicts.
4.) Keep Stress Low
Stress is one of the biggest triggers that can cause relapse in a recovering addict. Since stress can come from many different areas, it is important for loved ones of recovering addicts to keep the home as stress free as possible. Resources like counseling, job training and education can help to keep stress low during substance abuse treatment and reduce the likelihood of relapse.
5.) Look Out for Relapse
Unfortunately, relapse does happen with recovering addicts, so it is important to be on the lookout for signs that your loved one may be reengaging in harmful habits. Common signs of a relapse may include speaking fondly of past substance abuse, initiating contact with old friends from their drug abuse days and abrupt changes in behavior. If you believe your loved one may have relapsed, it is important to deal with it in a healthy manner. Suggest that they talk to a counselor or attend a twelve-step meeting, but do not blame or judge them. Reacting negatively could cause them to be defensive and slip further in to relapse.
If there is a recovering addict in your life and you need advice on how to support their sobriety, contact South Coast Counseling for help today. Our experienced and caring staff can help you to make sure that you’re dealing with your loved one’s addiction recovery in a helpful and healthy manner.
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