When someone in recovery is dealing with addiction problems, it can be emotionally taxing. It’s hard to stay supportive when it feels like recovery is impossible.
But, there are several reasons why you should stand by someone suffering from drug or alcohol addiction. Recovery is possible: there’s hope.
If you’re struggling with addiction support for your loved one, here are four reasons not to give up:
1. Relapse doesn’t mean failure.
If treatment didn’t lead your loved one to recovery the first, second, or even third time, does that mean it failed? Not necessarily. If you’re helping someone with addiction, recognize that relapses happen, but they don’t mean failure.
Like with many types of progress, recovery rarely happens in a straight line. Imagine a road trip. To get to your destination, you make turns, get on and off highways, and sometimes you have to go left before you can go right.
Recovery is similar. Between 40% and 60% of people treated for substance use disorders experience at least one relapse. That doesn’t mean that recovery is impossible. It simply means thatt very path to recovery is uniquee
2. Recovery professionals have a deeper understanding of addiction than ever.
The Surgeon General says: “Addiction to alcohol or drugs is a chronic but treatable brain disease that requires medical intervention, not moral judgment.”
Understanding how addiction works is vital if you’re supporting a loved one through recovery. This means recognizing their addiction as a disorder, and not thinking of it as a character flaw. Addiction is rooted in a chemical imbalance in the brain, not a lack of willpower. Remember that your loved one is someone who is struggling.
3. Involvement from loved ones is critical.
More than 90% of individuals pursue drug and alcohol rehab treatment following an intervention by friends and family. Loved ones getting involved can be the first step toward recovery for many people suffering from substance use disorders.
Recovery requires a full commitment from the individual, as well as from those close to them. Your encouragement can be the push that carries someone in your life through recovery.
Family and friends play a crucial role in the recovery process. There are plenty of resources that can help with family support for addiction, including counseling programs for loved ones of those in recovery.
4. Treatment works.
Fifty percent of adults who have substance use disorders have been clean for one year or longer. However, achieving remission may require multiple rounds of treatment, and no single treatment style works for everyone. It’s essential to stay motivated and provide consistent support, even if numerous rounds of treatment are required.
Now, more than ever, it’s clear that proper medical treatment is effective for people in recovery. Remission is possible if the correct steps are taken.
Even though recovery is full of ups and downs, the most important thing you can do for your loved one is not to give up hope. Coupled with professional medical treatment, your support can make the recovery process easier for your loved one.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use disorder, we can help.
Call 1-800-RECOVERY today to learn more and get started.