How to Support Your Loved One When They are in Addiction Treatment?

It is unfortunate to have someone you love get into addiction. People with drug or alcohol abuse struggle with health issues, both physical and mental. They are more prone to hurt their loved ones during this period. Knowing the symptoms and understanding the signs of substance abuse can help you support such a person in need. However, the process of recovery is never easy and requires a lot of patience to get through. Here we discuss a few important ways to support your loved ones through their treatments. It is always a combined effort that can lead to successful recoveries, without chancing a relapse years after. While a recovery center in Oregon can take care of the treatment, support of loved ones is equally essential during the de-addiction process. 

What to Expect When Your Loved One Enters Treatment

Knowing the kind of treatments available for substance abuse is crucial for your support role. You may even want to learn about the possible behavioral changes in patients under treatment as well. This might help you in your mental preparations to start with. Throughout treatment, you can expect to experience a spectrum of varying emotions that are quite common, including:

i) Anxiousness worrying about the welfare of your loved one. Such emotions can also be caused by thinking about whether they are getting the right care.

ii) Anger and resentment to get burdened without wishing for, by your loved one’s addiction.

iii) Relief for the fact that your loved one has taken the right step towards recovery  Also that your loved one is being treated well and in good hands.

iv) The shame of having to explain repeatedly about your loved one’s condition. The feeling of shame can sometimes cause guilt for not being able to save the concerned from the abuse.

v) Sadness can be an expression of the compassion and empathy to see your loved one on their path to recovery.

Ways to Support Your Loved One During Treatment

i) Show the Intention to Help

It’s never easy for a person with an addiction to be open about it, not even to their loved ones. Some part of this might be due to the fear of unacceptability. But much of this owes to the feeling of embarrassment for failing moral values. A clear statement for supporting intentions can sound comforting to such people in need. Help can be offered in various forms including medication reminders, giving company to the clinic, or even providing a listening ear when needed.

ii) Encourage Responsibility

Enabling a person in recovery must not be confused with helping. Our concern for our loved ones can make us overprotective at times. But a person being treated for addiction needs to be self-responsible for their recovery. They are the ones to set and work towards achieving their goals. Rescuing or enabling them might weaken their resolve to get cured. And making mistakes without your rescue can help them with a sense of responsibility.

iii) Educate Yourself

Staying informed can be crucial to correctly support your loved ones fighting addiction. Try to gain as much information through reputed resources for mental health. Learning about the various symptoms of addiction can be helpful to focus on the right methods for recovery. Every substance abuse condition can be different. Moreover, online research can help with required professional assistance for recovery treatments. You can search for community services to educate yourself further as well.

iv) Promote Healthy Habits Together

Try establishing healthy habits in your loved one with participation in substance-free activities together. This gives them a life based on sobriety which might aid in their recovery. The aim should be to make them realize a life of fun without addiction. Anything enjoyable like hiking and cooking together can be good regular practices. Energy burnt this way can keep their cravings under control. Consequently, your loved one might start regaining confidence, and this in turn will boost their mental health as well.

In the Event of a Relapse

Completing recovery treatments does not always guarantee to cease the addiction in a person permanently. The threat of a relapse always seems to loom, which can be stressful especially for recently rehabilitated individuals. But this is where the support from friends and family matters the most. Being there with the person without judging and supporting them to recommit for treatments becomes crucial. Overcoming addiction requires certain behavioral changes in a person. Support from the loved ones in embracing these changes is vital to avoid a relapse in the future.