These 5 questions to ask your addicted loved one will promote understanding, ease resentment, and encourage recovery.
It can be so heartbreaking and stressful when a loved one is suffering from addiction. You want to help, but you feel as if you’re walking on glass. It is difficult to find the words to address such a tense, volatile situation. I cannot claim to know your exact situation, but I can offer some guidance on where to begin.
How can I help?
You must be careful not to enable your addicted loved one, so educate yourself on proactive ways to help. If their request is reasonable and healthy, do everything in your power to offer aid. You could provide rides to meetings, offer accountability as a fitness partner, guide them in establishing a productive routine, and so much more. Ask how you can be an ally in their recovery journey and truly listen to their response.
Is there anything I’m doing that might be making it harder for you to focus on recovery?
I know it’s tough to turn the lens on yourself, but it’s vital to be aware of your own behavior. While it’s essential to never blame yourself, know that recovery is often a family journey. Your loved one may request that you stop drinking around them, or that you respect their privacy when discussing addiction with others. This conversation can be a breath of fresh air for the addict as long as it is approached with respect and willingness.
What sort of things do you enjoy doing that aren’t involved in your addiction?
Addiction consumes the life of your addicted loved one, but they are still completely human. Their aspirations may be suffocated by addiction, but they still exist; after all, the sun still shines behind clouds. Encourage them to recall the activities that filled them with passion. Then, volunteer to participate in these endeavors with your loved one. Together, you can share healthy fun, rebuild your relationship, and focus on projects that nurture recovery and confidence.
Is there anyone you’d like me to reach out to?
If your addicted loved one wishes you to inform someone about their addiction, don’t hesitate. An open, honest approach is key for banishing unfair stigmas and helping your loved one feel accepted. They may want certain individuals to understand and be aware of what they are going through. This can help ease expectations attached to certain situations, such as choosing not to attend a party that involves alcohol.
What do you think you recovery could offer you?
Every addict is a human being that possesses the potential to achieve all they wish to. They could become a novelist, teacher, counselor, or artist! Maybe they will climb mountains, discover new oceanic life, or paint a masterpiece. By focusing on their humanity and the wide open future ahead of them, you celebrate who they are rather than the damage addiction has caused. This can be revolutionary for an addict; hope is a fundamental ingredient to a successful, sustained recovery.
Addiction hurts your loved one, and it hurts you. I can’t take away the pain or do the hard work of recovery for you, but I can encourage you to ask the questions that can uplift, educate, and build trust. Communication creates a bridge that enables the addict to cross over to a shame-free realm of growth.
Treating Your Addicted Loved One at Morningside Recovery
At Morningside Recovery, we help your addicted loved one reconnect with you and your family through a variety of addiction therapy services, our aftercare program, and alumni program. Through this comprehensive treatment, they will learn how to connect to others and support themselves for long-lasting recovery. Call us today at 855-631-2135 to get started.
