If you have a loved one who is in recovery for a substance abuse disorder, then you may be wondering what you can do to help. First, keep in mind that your loved one is not alone. Synthetic narcotics are on the rise, and numbers that have been reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that these substances killed tens of thousands of people every year. Therefore, you need to make sure that you are ready to support a loved one in drug rehab. Northern Illinois Recovery Center can guide you through a few tips to help individuals find the support and guidance they need.
Educate Yourself First
If you are loved, one is heading to an inpatient drug rehab program, then he or she may be there for several weeks. You should use this time to educate yourself. In the past, a lot of people blamed the patients for succumbing to addiction. In reality, it is important to approach this issue with compassion. It should be treated like any other medical condition.
Make sure that you learn about drug abuse. It is important to educate yourself regarding why these disorders happened, why people who suffer from drug abuse cannot stop, and what you can do to help them when they leave the inpatient world. If you can learn more about the treatment programs they are going to go through in the inpatient and outpatient world, you will be in a better position to assist your loved one.
Set Boundaries To Avoid Enabling Your Loved One
When your loved one leaves an inpatient drug rehab program, there is a chance that he or she may feel like that he or she is already cured. This is not the case. In reality, addiction treatment and sobriety are journeys, not destinations. Therefore, you should set healthy boundaries to avoid enabling the one that you love. Some of the boundaries that you may want to set include:
- Remind your loved ones that you are there to provide emotional support, but they need to rely on their doctor or therapist for certain issues.
- Specify the types of emergency that your loved one to call you for assistance with versus their sponsor
- If you are going to let your loved one live at home with you when they leave an inpatient facility, specify the conditions of this arrangement.
- Make sure that you have the number of your loved one’s doctor or therapist so that you can call him or her with any concerns.
When you can set healthy boundaries, you place yourself and your loved one in a position to be successful during the recovery process.
Try To Remove Temptations and Triggers
When your loved one first leaves the impatient world, it is important to understand that he or she will be vulnerable to relapse. Even though he or she is eventually going to learn to manage temptation, day one is not the time to test this. For example, if your loved one is recovering from alcohol abuse, try to remove alcohol from home. Do not let your loved one go to any parties where alcohol might be served. That way, you can place your loved one in a position to protect his or her sobriety.
Contact Northern Illinois Recovery for More Drug Rehab Support Tips
If your loved one is undergoing drug rehab, make sure that you are there to support them. At Northern Illinois Recovery, we are here to help you. We have a wide variety of addiction treatment and substance abuse programs. Contact us today at 855.786.1978 to learn more about how our professionals can help you.
