Tips For Living With Someone in Addiction Recovery

You were delighted and relieved when your loved one agreed to enter addiction treatment and get well. Now, they are in recovery, but somehow the situation doesn’t seem much easier.

Communication remains difficult, and you’re never sure when or how to keep them accountable to their recovery. They don’t seem to have much time for you. How can you best support them but also care for yourself?

The first thing to remember is that everyone in addiction recovery has a spiritual malady. In order to stay sober, your loved one must maintain their spiritual connection. This takes discipline. Those in recovery need to take the time to take care of their sobriety. One of the best tips for living with someone in recovery is to allow them the space to attend meetings and meet with their sober fellowship. If they are not given the space needed to do so, they may get frustrated and feel smothered. If they continue to miss recovery activities, they put themselves in danger of relapse.

Another tip for living with someone in recovery is to remember not to take things personally.

If your loved one is in a bad mood, it might not have to do with you. People tend to project their internal moods onto the external world, and this is especially true for someone in recovery. So don’t blame yourself when your loved one is moody. After attending a twelve-step meeting or getting in touch with their sponsor, they’ll likely feel much better.

Lastly, it is important to remember that your loved one’s sobriety is their own responsibility. If they have a relapse and take a step backwards in their progress, offer support but don’t take responsibility. And don’t think they have failed. Addiction is a chronic disease that often requires multiple times in treatment until the recovery plan works.

Do you or a loved one need help with an addiction? Let Summit BHC help. Contact us today.