Addiction is hard, and undergoing recovery is even more complicated, especially when you don’t have a support system around you that helps you to stay focused. If you’ve been in addiction recovery or have a loved one that’s currently in treatment, it might not always seem clear how family can play a part in their recovery.

This is precisely why you’re here. As you continue reading, you’ll find out exactly what part your family can play in your loved one’s recovery. Being informed about what you can do can not only make it easier to establish and stick to healthy boundaries but also provide the support needed after treatment.

Addiction isn’t easy to handle, but people should be able to lean on their family members when they feel vulnerable. Read on now and learn about how family involvement and addiction recovery go hand in hand.

How Do Families Cope With Addiction?

No family is the same, which means the ways of coping with a loved one with an addiction problem can often differ. This is something taught and found at RanchCreekRecovery.com, and it’s essential for families to hear. Before you can play a productive role in your loved one’s recovery, you’ve got to know what coping mechanisms you’ve been using during their time in active addiction.

For some family members ignoring the issue entirely is best because then you don’t have to address the elephant in the room. If you don’t acknowledge the problem, it can’t possibly be true or affect you in the same ways that others in the family are affected.

Another common coping mechanism that goes hand in hand with ignoring the problem is distancing oneself from the addict. Placing distance between yourself and your loved one makes it easier to ignore the problem because it’s not as in your face as it would be if you surrounded yourself with them daily.

Some family members find themselves playing the role of an enabler. This fulfills the desire deep within them to keep their loved ones alive. To them, it’s better to enable them than to let them hit rock bottom or go without and live on the streets.

There are other coping mechanisms that people use. Still, the bottom line is that you’ve got to know which mechanisms you’re using before moving forward with being wholeheartedly involved in the recovery process.

Lowers Chances of Relapse

Did you know that getting involved in addiction recovery for a loved one can lower the chances of relapsing after they’ve completed treatment? One thing that people in recovery are taught is the importance of having a support system of people that support your goal.

These people will be there when you feel like giving up and will also help you form new habits and routines to help you remain focused on your sobriety journey. People that don’t have support following recovery might find it more challenging to remain sober because when they are feeling vulnerable or lonely, they have no one to turn to.

This means they’re left to their own thoughts and devices, which can easily cause them to convince themselves to give up and return to substance abuse. 

Helps Repair Broken Relationships

It’s no secret that as someone becomes immersed in addiction, their relationships begin to suffer, especially family ties. Once a person becomes dependent on drugs or alcohol, their body has to have it, and at a certain point, they’re willing to do anything to get it.

This means they’re willing to lie and steal from family as long as it means they don’t have to be sick or face withdrawal symptoms. Over time as family members begin to identify what they’re doing, it leads to fights and broken relationships.

However, when a family chooses to be involved in the recovery journey, it provides the time and space for these relationships to begin mending themselves. A part of treatment for addicts is making amends and talking through issues that their family has had throughout their addiction.

It will take time for everyone to get on the same page, but as long as everyone is trying to come to a common ground without pointing the finger, this is something that can be achieved. You’ll find that addicts carry a lot of shame and guilt for the things they put their loved ones through.

This is why hearing that family members want to be involved in their recovery and are open to repairing relationships is such a huge factor in overall recovery.

Family Importance in Recovery

If you thought that your family didn’t have a role to play in recovery, you thought wrong. Not only does your involvement matter, but it can be the difference in success or relapse for some addicts.

Remember, one day of treatment isn’t going to fix everything that’s broken in your family. However, it can help everyone involved to begin moving in the right direction.