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What does it mean to hit rock bottom? For many people stress and feeling out of control can feel like rock-bottom to them, however with someone suffering from addiction this can be anything from overdosing to becoming homeless and losing those around them to the addiction. Addiction can affect everyone, including the most loving family members. When a person becomes addicted, it usually has a detrimental impact on their family and friends. As a result, in addition to assisting loved ones in getting treatments and rehabilitation programs, family members and friends must recognize and understand addiction and protect their health. This allows you to provide an addict with the love and support they need to rehabilitate.

 

Ignoring the need to rehabilitate and get treatment for substance abuse can cause the behavior of an addict to change drastically, which often leads to violent behaviors and irrational thinking. This is why residential treatment centers like Primrose Lodge Recovery have created specialized rehabilitation and treatment programs on top of their highly conducive facilities for recovery.

 

Here are some of the things that you can do to support a family member with addiction problems:

 

Understanding Addiction

 

Education can help households overcome finger-pointing, rather than believing that an individual’s addiction results from fragility, willful ignorance, or tenacity. It may be more advantageous to recognize how the changes in the brain contribute to the development of the addiction. 

 

Recognizing that addiction is an illness, not a choice, may help you let go of any resentment you may be feeling because of your loved one’s addiction. There are several online tools available to aid families in educating themselves about this matter.

 

Being Reasonable and Understanding the Recovery Journey

 

The sense of hope that everyone experiences when an addicted individual enters treatment and the family embarks on the recovery road can be exciting. The behaviors connected with addiction may take a long time to change. The individual may cling to previous behaviors and grow disgruntled with the healing process. A relapse can be very demoralizing. It can be comforting to understand that relapse does not imply that your loved one or you have failed. 

 

Relapse is a natural component of recovery from addiction because it is a chronic condition. While steps may be taken to minimize relapse, recovery is a lifelong path filled with ups and downs. There cannot be any shortcuts.

 

Connecting to Support System

 

Giving support to someone who is addicted is not always straightforward. A close relative’s addiction can be an emotionally stressful circumstance that lasts for years, and lengthy disruption can make it difficult for families to communicate effectively. Every member of the family affected by addiction may develop a distrust of each other.

 

Connecting with support groups might be beneficial. The purpose of these programs is to provide assistance to addicts’ families. They also offer a safe, non-judgmental environment in which family members can learn about, discuss, and cope with challenging situations.

 

Minimize Distrust Through Family Therapy Sessions

 

By allowing everyone to feel heard, family therapy programs are aimed to minimize or eliminate hostility and resentment. It can assist family members in better understanding themselves and one another and working through conflict in a healthy manner. Families formerly defined by rage and addiction can mature into close-knit groups capable of supporting one another through open communication and clear limits. 

 

Support from family members is an essential factor in the success of the overall recovery. Family members who are equipped with knowledge and awareness are better prepared to deal with someone who is recovering from addiction. If a recovering addict has a strong support system from his or her family, the risk of relapse can significantly drop.