Addiction can be a debilitating problem that causes lots of pain and frustration not only for the addict but their family as well. This can make it difficult to talk to or be around the addict and their friends, but if someone with an addiction comes to you and wants to make their life better, you shouldn’t push them away. In fact, if your family comes to you looking for further assistance and they can admit they need help, your best bet is to support them in that decision and to try to help them as much as you can.
Signs Of Drug Abuse
The signs of drug abuse are easy to ignore at first, especially if the person who is addicted is actively trying to hide it. Drug abuse, once discovered, can sometimes startle the family of the addict. Signs of drug abuse can start with behavioral and physical symptoms. Dilated eyes, unusual smells, changes in eating and sleeping patterns, dropping attendance or focus at school or work, changes in friends, hobbies, and changes in different hangout spots. All of these are outright signs of potential drug addiction, which can make your life and your family’s life more and more difficult.
Drug Detox And Family
When it’s time to face a drug detox, it’s not a family member’s decision to start detoxing. It’s the addicts. This is why it’s so difficult and frustrating for family members because they can’t help an addict get out of addiction; only the addict can choose that they need to get help. After someone who is addicted decides they need to get help, they need to detox. Encourage them to make the decision, support them in the decision, and help them get to the detox center. Once they’re there, see if there are any visiting hours, and ask about coming to support your family member, they may be happy to have you there with them through this difficult time.
Dual Diagnosis
A dual diagnosis is a potential part of the process, depending on the difficulties your family member may have. Some drug addiction can be encouraged by other issues and pains, including trauma, behavioral issues, psychological issues, and more. A diagnosis is an incredibly important thing, especially with drug addiction, and a dual diagnosis can help clarify how addiction got so bad for your family member. So encourage them to seek diagnosis, even if it’s just for drug addiction; you never know what else they could be going through that could make it hard for them to seek the care they need.
Outpatient Rehab In Redlands, CA
The outpatient rehab option is an opportunity to go home and continue to receive care. People who are given this option can go home to their own home, but it may assist them depending on the person to live with a family member who is in a stable home. This can help provide stability while the addict begins their care so they can stay away from the environment and people that encouraged them to encourage their addictive ways. If you’re helping a family member that is in outpatient rehab, it’s important to help them keep busy without forcing them to do everything they need to be able to do all at once.
Transitional Care
Transitional care is a type of care that helps people transition from a life living with addiction to a life living without it. This transition can be difficult to go through alone, which is why transitional care is so important. Transitional care can be done in our facilities with the help of family, encouraging the addicted individual to keep going and continue getting the care that they need. Transitional care is an important step to ensure someone can live on their own without relapsing. Transitioning from a life full of addiction, where your focus is on getting your next high, and a life of actually living and thriving and moving toward what you want are very different things. Transitional care is an essential part of the recovery process that takes the movement from one kind of life to the other into account.
Continuing Care
Continuing care with a family member after you’ve stepped out of transitional care is incredibly important. If you can have someone with you to help you get a job, get a car, and start working on a happy, healthy life, then you should. Having another person to lean on and learn from will make it easier to return to having a good and honest life away from drugs. So take your time to make sure you or your loved one has a game plan for when they get to the point where they can continue their care on their own. The more support they have, the better.
How Family Members Help
Family members can help in almost every step of the recovery process, from encouraging their family members to seek help to being there as they continue to get it, and much more. With family backing you up in your recovery process, you get much further and often can keep going when the times get tough. Without family support, it will be very difficult to be able to continue to get the care you need and continue to build a life for yourself, but not impossible. Anyone who really wants to step away from addiction can, so long as they admit that they have one.
Building A Long-Term Foundation
Building a long-term foundation of healthy ways to manage addiction is a path forward that everyone can appreciate, which is why when you’re building the ability to move forward with your life, it’s always good to have a family by your side. Addicts can get away from addiction and back on their feet themselves, but they do have a higher likelihood of relapsing. Trying to fight this addiction battle alone makes it easier to fall back on old friends who may have helped fuel your addiction and would encourage you to become an addict again.
Trying to build a life from scratch is no easy feat, especially when you’re also fighting against addiction and withdrawal. Having family close to you can be helpful when you’re going through this process. Feel free to reach out to our team at liberty house if you or a family member are ready to get help for the addiction in your life. Remember, only the person addicted can actually decide they need to get help; otherwise, the likelihood of relapsing is very high. Feel free to reach out to us to learn more about addiction and how we can help.
