The rehabilitation process can be extremely rewarding and sets many addicts along the right path. However, the work doesn’t stop after leaving a rehab facility, especially when there are so many temptations and triggers in the world. To find true success, your loved one will need a solid support system, but what does that look like?
Help Put Together a Transitioning Plan
Beating addiction is a constant battle that involves putting strategies in place to keep occupied, avoid triggers, and steer clear of relapsing. To support your loved one with post-addiction self-improvement, help them put together a plan of action for transitioning, which will include things like getting regular exercise, connecting with others, learning to relax, and maintaining a healthy diet.
View Addiction as a Disease
The impact of drug and alcohol addiction runs much deeper than the obvious signs; it can root deep into the brain and make permanent changes. When you begin to view addiction through that lens, you’ll realize that it must be approached like a disease.
There may be times when your loved one is engaging in activities you don’t support, including taking drugs or drinking alcohol. It’s perfectly fine to step away at these times but be careful not to make your loved one feel like an outcast – this will make them feel uncomfortable when it comes to asking for help.
Take Care of Your Own Needs
While supporting a loved one following rehab, remember how their illness will impact you and then take measures to safeguard your mental health. If you consistently place your loved one’s needs first, you may become physically ill or experience anxiety and depression.
Even when it feels selfish, make sure you engage in activities you love and get as much self-love in as possible. In particular, you should put time aside for regular exercise and getting together with friends, which will help boost the feel-good hormones in the brain. If your loved one slips back into old habits while you’re away, just be there once more and remember that fighting addiction takes time.
Support without Enablement
Depending on the extent of your loved one’s addiction, it may strip their bank accounts clean and leave them with enormous debts. These financial issues often have consequences including physical danger. While it’s natural to protect a loved one, you have to allow them to learn from mistakes, which will never happen if you sort their problems out yourself. By fixing your loved one’s issues, you enable the addiction because it tells them they can do it and won’t have to suffer any consequences.
There are countless addiction treatment methods out there, and finding the correct one for your loved one may take a lot of time. Unfortunately, this means you may need to support them through relapse after relapse. If you can follow the tips outlined above and remember to take care of yourself, then you can stand up tall and proudly say you’ve done everything in your power to help.
