According to Pew Research Center’s article on family and addiction published in 2017, 46% of Americans say they have a loved one who is or has been addicted to drugs or alcohol. Witnessing a loved one’s addiction can be full of worry and confusion.
It can be challenging to relate to the struggles and pains of those in addiction, making the role of support feel impossible. Even worse, it can feel like an isolating experience.
While there is no one treatment for those supporting people in recovery, there are ways to ensure your mental health in the process. This article discusses how to carry the weight of having a loved one who is struggling with addiction and ways to support those going through treatment.
Knowledge Is Power
When it comes to supporting those in addiction treatment, one of the most significant sources of frustration is the lack of understanding between parties. Many loved ones don’t understand why someone would have a dependency on drugs, while those addicted become frustrated when they are told to quit. This can lead to emotions of resentment and heartache between both sides. However, this confusion stems from a lack of understanding.
One of the ways to combat this continual frustration is to understand a loved one’s position. This can begin with research. Finding out what your loved one is struggling with can lead to a better perspective of what addiction is. Your loved one may be going through various struggles depending on the substance in use. Learning the background of those addictions can equip you to see the situation from their point of view.
Ultimately, knowledge can help you gain a perspective on addiction, which enables a sense of clarity. When we are able to make sense of difficult situations, we are better able to digest the situation. It is often a mixture of issues, all needing individual attention. Your ability to identify signs of addiction and relapse symptoms might save them in future moments.
Understanding Your Role
A pitfall associated with having someone you love fall into addiction is our immediate desire to help them get better. However, we are unable to cure our loved ones. We are powerless to solve their addiction.
Sometimes, by being overactive in our helpfulness, we are enabling their use. Unfortunately, enabling behaviors often cross the line into codependency. Codependency is an overabundance of focus on the loved one struggling with addiction. This can lead us to neglect our own lives. Not only does this damage our mental health, but it also undermines addiction treatment.
Codependency can manifest as you making excuses to cover for your loved one, helping monetarily, or picking up the slack in places they have dropped the ball. Instead of putting them in treatment and giving them the necessary space to better themselves, there is a smothering of help that occurs.
With codependency, we are pulling from our own resources to get them back on their feet. However, their issue lies far deeper than the temporary band-aids you offer. In order for them to truly heal, we must take a step back to understand that we cannot help in our own power.
Moving Forward
The constant worry about the health of those struggling with addiction is an ever-present weight. However, this weight isn’t lifted the more we are around them or, the more we help them. Their treatment hinges on their ability to find stability in their own heads.
We can support those in treatment by being available in therapy sessions and helping them identify possible relapse dangers. However, we need the space as well to find our support. Reach out to close friends and family, talking with them in times of need. You are not alone, and neither is your loved one. It is a battle fought side by side but miles apart.
You should also make a commitment to take care of yourself. Often, addiction creeps in when our minds are most vulnerable. It can also stem from deteriorating mental health. It is essential that you look after your health in order to safeguard yourself from any unhealthy habits that could cause you to feel worse. Involve yourself in your community, hobbies, or work to find your passion outside of worry.
Our Commitment
Ar First Steps Recovery, we handle the needs of our clients. If your loved one is in treatment at one of our facilities, know that their health and recovery is our goal. We work to bring the best care to all of our clients, no matter the circumstances.
This includes monitoring their physical and mental well-being and always seeing how we can strengthen those coming out of addiction. Your support in our mission can ensure their lifelong sobriety and continued freedom. There is always room for hope, and we aim to supply just that.
Addiction’s damages can reverberate far past the one dependent on substances to destroy the hope in loved ones. If you are exploring treatment and options for your loved one struggling with addiction, First Steps Recovery is here to help. We know the pain that accompanies addiction treatment. It can often feel like a lonely process. At First Steps Recovery, we recognize not only our client’s needs but also the needs of their family, friends, and loved ones. We want you to feel involved in their recovery, keeping you up to date on their journey. Our team of experts wants to help in the recovery of those in need, securing not only short-term success but also long-term sobriety. You and your loved one deserve hope. First Steps Recovery wants to supply that hope. For more information regarding our services, call us today at (844) 489-0836.
