Understanding Addiction: A Guide for Loved Ones
Once you suspect or know that someone you love is abusing substances, it’s normal to experience feelings like despair, anxiety, and even anger. Educating yourself about addiction can give you the right tools to cope with the situation and react in a way that encourages your loved one to seek treatment.
Take Care of Yourself
Focusing on yourself while a loved one needs help might sound selfish, but here’s the truth. Supporting a substance abuser can take its toll on you mentally and physically. If you do not make the time to nourish your mental and physical health, you risk burning out, leaving you feeling drained and resentful. It could negatively affect other important areas of your life, such as work and caring for dependents.
Recognize Enabling Disguised as Caring
It’s common for loved ones to enable a person with an addiction, even when all you want is for them to be free of the burden of substance abuse. Addiction therapy in Los Angeles can help address these challenges. Substance abusers tend to land in situations where they need rescue, such as getting bailed out after being arrested or when you make excuses on their behalf when they don’t pull their weight as an employee, parent, or with other obligations.
One of our strongest instincts is to protect our loved ones. This instinct is why so many friends and family, when faced with the painful and confusing realities of supporting a substance abuser, shield them from consequences and, ultimately, from seeking help for their substance abuse.
Talk to an Expert
When we say “you are not alone,” this is not a cliche. There are countless free resources and professionals that exist purely to help families navigate the stressful journey of recovery. You can have a support network right from the start. Talk to a compassionate expert from Discovery Transitions to learn more about how to encourage your loved one to get treatment.
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