Nothing is more painful than seeing your loved one struggling with addiction. It can be challenging to love or support them while they are addicted to substance use. In fact, it can be worse if you end up enabling them while trying to show your support for them. Therefore, remember to keep healthy boundaries while supporting them and gently guide them towards sober living in St. George Utah.
Below, we have listed the top four ways to show support to a loved one struggling with addiction.
1. Respect their privacy- You might be aware of your loved one’s addiction; however, you may not be aware of its extent. It is natural to not know everything about them despite seeing and speaking to them regularly. People indulging in substance use are likely to be secretive for several reasons. They may be scared of your judgments and opinions; thus, they will not want to open up too much to you.
2. Provide a safe and sober environment- One of the essential things you must do for your loved one struggling with substance abuse is to provide them with basic needs. It may sound too simple, but often, they take it for granted. They struggle with malnutrition and homelessness and are at high risk of getting trafficked, robbed, or assaulted. Offering them a safe living environment will give them the hope they need.
If you do not know them personally, you can help them connect with addiction treatment centers in Utah. However, make sure to maintain boundaries and keep yourself mentally and physically healthy.
3. Don’t give up on them– You might be on the verge of losing hope in someone addicted to substances as they are often unreliable, hurtful, and manipulative. They may always ask for money to support their addiction or be ignorant of their behavior and actions. They might have even relapsed after completing their addiction treatment. You may have started to lose hope that they will change.
However, you must not give up on them, as your loved one may not even realize the impact of their actions and addiction on you. You should try to remember who they are beneath the addiction because substance use changes people. You should see through their condition and continue to support them.
4. Show them that they are valued– People battling addiction often have low self-esteem. You cannot fix that; however, you can encourage them through words and actions. Express your love towards them and make them believe that they are valuable in your life and are worthy of recovery. Compliment them on their personality traits and remind them of their strengths and accomplishments. Call them regularly and invite them over for dinner or play games with them. Remember, addiction is a dark and lonely place; therefore, you should remind your loved one that you are there with them.
About Steps Recovery Centers
You can show your support to a loved one struggling with addiction through the above-mentioned ways. You should also look for efficient and reliable rehab facilities in Utah. At Steps Recovery Centers, we help people fight addiction with proper guidance and help from our expert therapists and counselors. Our clients choose us for our effective treatment programs and specialization in substance use disorder treatments. For more information, contact us at 801-800-8142.
