Supporting Families Affected by Addiction

Families or friends coping with a loved one's addiction to substances or behaviours face difficult challenges that can be emotionally and psychologically taxing. However, with the right support and resources, families can navigate this journey with resilience and hope.

How to help:

- Education: Take the time to learn about addiction, its underlying causes and available treatment options. Understanding the nature of addiction can help dispel misconceptions & foster empathy.

- Express Empathy and Hope: Communicate openly and empathetically with your loved one, acknowledging their struggles without judgment or criticism. Expressing empathy can help strengthen your connection and build trust. Hope also serves at motivation for your loved one – encourage them that they can make the changes and things will get better with time, hard work and dedication. 

- Encourage Treatment: Support your loved one to seek professional help and explore treatment options, such as therapy, support groups and rehabilitation programs. Offer to assist them in finding resources and accessing appropriate care.

- Set Boundaries: Establish clear boundaries to protect yourself and your family from the negative consequences of addiction. Communicate your boundaries assertively and enforce them consistently, even if it means temporarily distancing yourself from your loved one.

- Practice Self-Care: Prioritise self-care and seek support from friends, family or support groups for yourself. Taking care of your own physical, emotional and mental wellbeing is essential for maintaining resilience and coping with the challenges of supporting a loved one with addiction.

- Celebrate Progress: Celebrate small victories and milestones in your loved one's recovery journey, acknowledging their efforts and accomplishments along the way.

- Seek Professional Guidance:Consider seeking guidance from therapists or support groups specialising in family support for addiction. Professional guidance can offer insights and strategies tailored to your circumstances. 

- Practice Patience and Understanding: Recovery from addiction is a journey with challenges and setbacks. Practice patience, understanding & unconditional love towards your loved one as they navigate their recovery.

Where Not to Help:

- Enabling behaviour: Avoid allowing or enabling any behaviours. Don’t try & protect them from the consequences of their actions or provide financial support that enables their addiction. Encourage accountability & responsibility. 

- Exercise boundaries: If your support is not appreciated or things become hostile, don’t stay in the space if you can help it. Create healthy boundaries and rules for yourself and the situation. 

- Co-dependency: Do not sacrifice your own needs & wellbeing to accommodate your loved one's addiction. Try not to give into demands around the addiction, where possible. Prioritise your own self-care and wellbeing first.

For more information on what addiction is, how it affects a person and treatment options, for recovery please click here. 

If you have any questions or would like to discuss any of this information further, please get in touch.