The road to addiction recovery isn’t easy, and even if someone with an addiction is committed to working through it by going to an addiction rehab and mental health centre, friends and family can make the journey easier or more difficult. This isn’t because they have bad intentions, but often because their well-meaning actions are actually hindering the addict’s recovery rather than helping it. It’s important that family members of an addict don’t take on too much responsibility in the addict’s life, both because it can lead to resentment and because it puts too much pressure on them to be solely responsible for the addict’s happiness.
How addiction affects families
Relatives and friends play a crucial role in helping those with addiction. Unfortunately, these loved ones can get so caught up in their own feelings that they put their own health at risk. But if you’re a relative or friend of someone with an addiction, there are many ways to avoid burnout—and still help your loved one achieve sobriety.
How you can help
You may be tempted to swoop in and save your loved one, but recovery is an active process, and it isn’t a task that can be completed on someone else’s behalf. It will take courage, patience, and persistence to find addiction rehab programs that best suit your relative or friend; however, there are a number of different types[1] of ways you can help your loved one along their path to recovery. First off all make sure they have their own place where they can sleep at night.
What parents need to know
Parents can be a huge help to their children who are struggling with addiction. As an addict begins to recover, they may want to know what they can do to help, and one way is by going through addiction rehab themselves. Our data shows that families play a large role in recovery – parents who go through treatment together show higher success rates than those who don’t.
What children need to know
Being a child of an addict is difficult. It can be even more so when you have no idea what’s going on. Because kids are often kept out of conversations about drugs and alcohol, they may feel confused and hurt. If you’re a child who has lost a parent to addiction, let us reassure you: Addiction isn’t your fault, and it certainly isn’t anyone else’s fault, either.
What siblings need to know
Relatives and friends are central to helping an addicted person, but they shouldn’t take on a disproportionate burden of responsibility. As family members, we need to ensure that our loved one gets professional treatment from a competent addiction rehab centre. That way, he or she has a fighting chance at recovery.
Tips on communication
So how do you know what to say and when? Addiction rehab can help save your marriage and your relationships with family and friends. But if your loved one is in denial there are specific things to say and not say when speaking with your loved one. Keep in mind that some addicts do lie, at least a little bit, so if you want to get real information out of your loved one, avoid asking questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no.
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Alexander James