If you’re ready to take that all important first step or are gathering information to pass along to someone you love, call 505-224-9777 today to speak with a specialist. You can also contact us online to learn more.
People struggling with addiction are often reluctant to seek out treatment. They may believe that friends and family are exaggerating the effects of their substance abuse or that they can handle the problem all on their own. But addiction is a serious issue, no matter how you look at it, and most people who consistently abuse drugs or alcohol need professional help to break the cycle.
Addiction recovery is necessary to ensure a safe detox when physically dependent on a substance, as well as to provide help with underlying mental health issues that may contribute to addictive behaviors. The first step to recovery, which is being ready and willing to accept recovery, is often the hardest.
Rock Bottom Is Different for Everyone
There’s no succinct way to define rock bottom, because it’s different for every person. In general terms, it refers to the lowest point in a person’s life, the point at which their addiction becomes too much to handle.
On a personal level, rock bottom can mean many different things. For one person, it might involve being arrested for their substance use. For another, it could entail becoming homeless and living on the street. In yet another scenario, rock bottom could mean losing custody of one’s children or having their spouse file for divorce. Whatever the circumstance, hitting rock bottom is usually the wake up call a person needs to accept they have a problem and that professional help is needed.
What Friends & Family Can Do to Support Their Loved One
When your loved one is active in his or her addiction, it can be difficult to take the right steps. Some families take the tough love approach in the hopes of accelerating the journey to rock bottom. Others find it difficult to cut ties completely and continue to offer some type of support to their family member.
While there is no right or wrong answer, there are some general guidelines families can follow:
- Set Hard Boundaries – Families don’t have to abandon their loved one to addiction, but they should also be wary of enabling damaging behaviors. Setting boundaries protects both the person with the addiction issue, as well as their family. For instance, family can refuse to give money to a person with an active addiction but offer to buy food and groceries instead.
- Provide Unconditional Love – Even when setting boundaries, families can still show they care by offering unconditional love. Blaming and assigning guilt are rarely effective but expressing unconditional love can be motivating. It may even show the person struggling to overcome addiction that there’s something left to fight for.
- Accept That You Lack Control – A person must decide on their own to seek treatment. Family can provide resources, they can help a person find recovery treatment, but the person is ultimately responsible for accepting help. You can’t force a person into recovery if they’re not ready.
We’re Here When You Need Us
Whether you’re in the midst of addiction or have watched a friend or relative navigate these troubled waters, Duke City Recovery is here to help you find a solution. Our recovery specialists are equipped to address the complex disease of addiction, from providing medically assisted detox to offering peer support so that a person has a lifeline to sobriety.
