How to support a loved one through addiction recovery

Does someone you know have substance abuse disorder?

If they’re actively pursuing rehabilitation, that’s good. However, that process takes more than their volunteering and the quality of the program they’ve chosen. You, too, play a significant role in their recovery. 

Addiction is a medical condition that involves a person forming a routine around consuming substances for relief, sustenance, or euphoria. It alters their behaviour and brain function, forming habits detrimental to themselves and the people around them. 

Breaking these habits is hard. But with the right level of support, sustainable progress is possible.

The key is to empower them to make good choices always, emphasizing positive reinforcement instead of shaming. Here are some ways to go about it.

1. Help Them Tackle The Roots Of Their Old Habits

To fully support your loved one in a recovery journey, encourage them to examine when, where, and how they fell into the practices supporting their addiction. Putting a stop to them, or at least, setting reasonable limits, may help them overcome their condition.

For instance, if they got hooked on stimulants due to influence from their co-workers, you may suggest slowly cutting ties with them or setting limits on how much time they spend and what they do with them. It’s a natural way to keep your loved one from the regular temptations they receive. It also teaches them to actively value their own wellness, which is a key part of recovery.

There are tons of useful resources about this topic, like this article by Medical Aid International, among others. Share them with your loved one if they’d like to learn more useful tips in this area.

2. Regularly Check Up On Them

Sometimes, the awareness that someone is as invested in their recovery as they are provides substance abuse patients with the push they need to keep trying. So, never hesitate to check up on them every once in a while.

Make sure to respect their mental health limits when you do this. If they’d like to go mute on their communication channels, don’t force them to talk. But if they’re open, you can set meet-ups or dates in their place or outside. Try taking walks, visiting a café, going to the park, or doing a sport together.

If you’re too busy to do any of that stuff, you can instead accompany them to their sessions. Small acts like these go a long way in bolstering their efforts. 

3. Educate Yourself

The best way to support your loved one is to get a good grasp of what they’re going through.

One of the most challenging phases of recovery comes in the first few days of rehab. During this period, your loved one is likely to experience pink cloud syndrome, where they have high expectations about their prospects of staying sober. But as time passes, they may feel like they’re going too slow or not doing enough, discouraging them from continuing rehab.

You can anticipate problems like these by being aware of how the recovery process usually goes. This way, you help your loved one maintain their progress no matter how slow they may find the process. 

Educating yourself is also helpful in understanding different types of addictions, letting you know what steps to take to provide the proper intervention. These small differences in knowledge can often save lives.

4. Provide A Safe And Sober Recovery Environment

Rehab works because it offers the ideal environment for recovery. Professionals help patients avoid their triggers so they may focus on building healthy routines.

You can do the same at home. For example, if your loved one has been abusing opioids, you can store potent painkillers in special boxes to remind them that they’re not supposed to rely on them. Then, you can provide a separate box containing the prescription recommended by their healthcare team.

In the same vein, if a hectic workplace got them into depressants, you can provide them a quiet space to decompress freely daily instead of relying on drugs to calm down. Sober-living homes, also known as recovery residences or halfway houses, are also an option. They are supportive living environments for individuals in recovery from substance abuse. In Toronto, many sober living homes are available for individuals in recovery. The cost of sober living Toronto can vary depending on the location and level of services provided. Non-profit organizations run some of these homes, while others are privately owned.

5. Set Boundaries

This goes back to many of the points mentioned above. But it deserves a proper mention.

Healthy boundaries are essential in your loved one’s recovery journey. These should be designed not as punishments to curtail their past behaviour but as springboards for creating healthy habits.

Think of it this way: instead of making them feel bad for spending extra cash on uppers, show them how to save it for things that are actually helpful, fulfilling, or meaningful to them, like prescribed medicine or tickets to their favourite fair.

Boundaries must also centre around what got your loved one into their substance abuse problem in the first place. Help them identify which sensations, moods, times of the day, people, and situations increase their risk of relapsing. From there, you can work out routines that keep them from having to experience any of those.

6. Show Them You’re Hopeful

Of course, you can never keep up your effort to support your loved one if you don’t believe in them. Even as times get so rough that you need to take a break, never think that your work is going to waste. Cheer your loved one when they triumph and console them when they fall short. Sometimes, this is enough.

The Journey Is Always Worth It

Addiction is always treatable and recovery is always within reach. Just believe in your loved one and demonstrate that belief by taking these small steps and more. Never hesitate to reach out to experts for more help and guidance on keeping your loved one on track with sober living.

lead hoto by Taylor Deas Malesh

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