Drug addiction or alcohol addiction can lead to many subsequences and if that addicted person is a near and dear one, it becomes difficult to handle such situations. If you are not able to handle such a tender matter with care, there is a possibility that situation will become worse. Most of the time people stay clueless about the dos and don'ts and make mistakes. This way entire thing can go out of your hand. Not only the person going through the addiction recovery procedure but the entire family needed some expert consultation to make the recovery process easier.
Here are few ways to emotionally support your loved one to survive the addiction recovery procedure:
Trust on medical support: As a non-medical personal, definitely we don't have any idea about recovery treatment. So we have to keep full faith on the medication procedures done by experts. If you are having lack of trust on the medication treatment then it will make the patient to question about the recovery. So follow the opinion and medication strictly and follow up with the concern persons.
Do not lose your cool: Having arguments, losing your cool, feeling impatient can harm the recovery process. You will not be able to win the war with anger or impatience. Only unconditional love, care, and forbearance can help you to make your loved one feel better about the situation. After all you want your loved one out of the addiction and not from your heart.
Talk positive and behave positive: Addiction is a sign of negativity and one can destroy this with spreading positivity. Whenever you talk with your loved one going through a recovery process, try to include only positive conversation. Positivity is infectious and your loved one will definitely feel good about a bright future waiting after the treatment.
Do some research on your end: If a member from your family is going through a recovery process then you need to acquire knowledge about the same. Reaching on any topic is very easy with a vast knowledge base at your fingertip nowadays. If you are in dark you will not be able to show light to others. If you are updated with all nitty-gritty about drug addiction and the recovery procedure then only you will be able to guide another person. You need not to know about medication or treatment details; this is not the thing you need to understand. But you can read about additional measures you can take at home other than medical treatment.
Create happy atmosphere: Sometime we get depressed about the fact that our loved one went towards a wrong direction and thus become drug addicted. This depressed atmosphere is very harmful for all your family members and the patient itself. Thinking about the past will not do any good anyways. Try to create a happy atmosphere instead and see the magic on your own.
Panic is bad for all: When we discover your loved one has become drug addicted, so many things will come into your mind. Sometimes we take it as a disgrace for the family and feel ashamed of the entire matter. But you need to overcome these thoughts to get rid of this situation. If you keep panicking then you will never be able to inspire another person towards a drug free future.
Give it time: Addiction recovery process needs some time. Give it that amount of time. Different people need different time period to overcome. You cannot expect that addicted person will change their habit overnight magically during the treatment. You need to wait until the person recovers completely. Medical experts will let you know when you will reach that point.
Don't try to change the person: A person goes through severe mental disturbance during addiction recovery treatment. They need to make some severe changes in their lifestyle to lead an addiction free life. Your work is to assist and help that person and not change that person entirely. Changing few daily routine and habit is a different thing and trying to change the entire personality is different. Also try to accept the changes gracefully after the treatment so that the person does not feel down about the entire situation.
Take care of your health: Staying mentally and physically fit is very important to support another person. So do not neglect your health aspects. Take healthy diet, do some exercise, go for an outing, watch favorite movies, read books; do whatever makes you happy and keeps you healthy. Do not make drastic changes in your daily routine to avoid health issues. If you want to support your loved one you should be sound physically and mentally and you can do the trick.
So, these are few tips to help you untangle such a massive situation of your life. Have faith and work with patience to fight addiction with your loved one. No matter how intense the situation is, there is a certain way out if you can act smart and you can do it hand in hand.
Need help with substance abuse or mental health issues? In the U.S., call 800-662-HELP (4357) for the SAMHSA National Helpline.