If your family member has recently decided to seek treatment for a drug or alcohol addiction, their journey is just beginning. Most experts agree that addiction is a chronic mental health condition, meaning it is something she will have to battle their entire life. However, there are ways you can help your loved one in recovery. To learn about our women’s addiction treatment program, contact Crossroads Maine at 877.978.1667 today.
Encourage Complete Sobriety From Drugs and Alcohol
Individuals who have already struggled with addiction are at a high risk of overdose when they relapse. Unfortunately, when people struggle with addiction, it’s not possible to successfully limit their substance use. As a result, sobriety is the safest and most reliable choice for those who are in recovery. You can help your loved one by helping her avoid exposure to drugs and alcohol. You can also encourage her to find sober ways to have fun. Furthermore, you can help her cultivate a network of sober friends to support her newfound abstinence from substances.
Help Her to Create Good Coping Skills
Because stress is inevitable in life, it’s vital to help your loved one develop strategies to manage it. Coping skills can encourage her to stay sober when she meets life’s challenges. To help your loved one, be there for her when she encounters stressful experiences. Be willing to listen to her problems and talk them through to create practical solutions.
Encourage Them To Engage in Support Groups and Sober Friendships
If a person’s entire social life formerly depended on going out to the bar and drinking after work, your loved one may feel isolated or alone when she leaves treatment. By engaging in a peer support group, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, she can build new friendships. She can also benefit from the added accountability these groups provide. You can go with your loved one to local meetings to find the right one for her and adjust your family’s schedule to further encourage meeting attendance. You can also discuss ways to meet sober friends to further support her sobriety.
Stay Positive
As a friend or family member, you know the struggle that your loved one went through before seeking treatment. Keep the hope of a new life free from addiction alive in your interactions with her. Remind her that she can live a worthwhile and rewarding life, and tell her that you believe in her. She will thank you for it in the long run.
Know the Warning Signs of Relapse
Like any other chronic condition, relapse is always a possibility in your loved one’s life. As such, it’s vital to recognize the signs of relapse, so you know to be on your toes. The signs of relapse include:
- Talking about past drug or alcohol use
- Lying
- Hanging out with people who they used to use drugs and alcohol with
- Becoming anxious, irritable or depressed
- Not practicing self-care
If you see the signs of relapse, it’s vital to take action. Work with your family to create a relapse prevention plan and follow that plan to prevent relapse.
Contact Crossroads Maine For Addiction Treatment
At Crossroads Maine, we understand the stress that your loved one has been under during addiction. With our women’s treatment programs, designed by women for women, we can give her the care that she needs. We provide treatment for women of every walk of life. For instance, if your loved one has small children, we offer specialized residential treatment and childcare for them. Each program is suited to the unique needs of women. We address a range of addictions, including:
To learn more about the treatment options available at Crossroads Maine, contact us by calling 877.978.1667 today.
