Focus on the Positive
Recovery is second to none when it comes to involving both time and people. It means that people who can support your ‘recovery identity’ – ie, who can help you feel that you are a person who does not drink or use addictive drugs – are the ideal companions to keep you supported during this period of growth. So make sure that you are surrounded by these people, and maybe even consider changing your current relationships or expanding your friendship network to fit this purpose.
Be sure it’s set up with a professional counsellor or therapist you trust. And have a plan for what you’ll do if your loved one doesn’t agree to go to treatment. 4. Consider what to do next. Not every treatment is successful right away. One individual who struggled with a mild marijuana use disorder – the lowest-intensity diagnosis in the DSM-5 – has been in and out of counselling and professional intervention since 2006; it’s only recently that these efforts have started to stick. Just like it took many years for this person to become addicted to marijuana, it’s likely that insisting on recovery will take some time. But if you love them, keep telling them so.
Practice Self-Care
Thus, the physical and mental state of someone addicted is weak and depleted. Recovery from addiction therefore requires taking excellent care of oneself and self-care can present an alternative, healthy means of coping with triggers for relapse.
One example of self-care is healthy eating, regular sleep, exercise and attention to general habits that promote health and wellness. Another might be time spent nurturing relationships or enjoying creative pursuits or learning new skills or interests. This way, a daily routine of self-care can enhance experience, reduce stress, anxiety and depression, and improve overall quality of life.
Be a Good Encourager
Addiction might lead to bankruptcy, incarceration and even danger to the user’s safety. Clients in recovery tend to be burdened by the disease of addiction, which compromises their health, relationships and work.
It is so tempting to shelter your loved one from the natural consequences of his [or her] addiction – the downfall of what they term ‘enabling’ – from covering for them, taking over and compensating for misbehaviour – and instead urge them off their dependency crutch in a way that teaches them to function despite the drugs.
Be a Good Helper
These are difficult feelings and reactive, yet when someone you care about is suffering from an addiction, it’s important to have everyone on the same page and to detach from knee-jerk reactions. An intervention is a structured opportunity to do just that. A spontaneous confrontation, although psychologically honest in its initial reaction, is detrimental to the progress of your loved one. It’s wise to plan it ahead of time together with a professional, so that you get everyone on the same page and set the stage for productive dialogue and actions. Stage it when your loved one would be least likely to deny the problem or run away.
Be a Good Encourager
If a close relative or friend has a difficult relationship with substance use, this is a demanding situation for you to deal with. It might also make you unhappy and unwell, and be a strain on your family life and friendships.
But a drug addiction also needs ‘detox’ to rid the body of drugs, treatment for mental health issues that may have contributed to drug use, and counselling – individual or group – to deal with past traumas. The earlier you deal with drug use, the more likely you are to make a full recovery.
Setting boundaries allows your loved one to experience the consequences of his actions. Enabling someone with active substance abuse disorders might mean: covering for them, taking on responsibilities for them or financially supporting them.