A Helpful Guide to Supporting Someone in Addiction Recovery

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Addiction is quite complex. As a matter of fact, it is a very tough and serious problem to handle, let alone recover from. People who are suffering from such a condition are immensely challenged in their journey to attain fulfillment in life. With its accompanying consequences, it puts great harm to the addict's health, relationships, and overall quality of life.

 

With that said, the road to recovery from addiction is one of the most difficult things to go through. That is why supporting someone in addiction recovery is crucial in contributing to their progress on their way to breaking away from the chains. There is a good possibility that we know somebody who's struggling with addiction; perhaps it could be a friend, family member, or a person we don't know as well. We can always extend our help to anyone regardless of their significance in our personal lives.

 

Apart from our encouragement, support, and love, a book on addiction recovery like You Are Wonderfully Made: Christian Solutions to Addiction by David & Beverly Sedlacek would also be of great guidance and help to their recovery journey.

 

Finally, let's get to know some valuable ways to support and help someone overcome addiction and recover from it.

 

Supporting Someone in Addiction Recovery: What Are the Ways?

 

someone holding the other person’s hand

Photo by Arif  Syuhada

Educate yourself about addiction and recovery

There's a lot to know about addiction and recovery. Many pervasive misconceptions and stereotypes about addiction also float around. Thus, it is essential to be more aware, informed, and knowledgeable about this matter before lending a helping hand. Having more background or knowledge will allow you to provide help and support more effectively. You can educate yourself by seeking out reputable and credible resources to better disclose the nature of addiction and recovery. Ultimately, you may also seek guidance from a professional.

 

Don't neglect self-care

Remember to also take care of yourself and not neglect your well-being while supporting someone in addiction recovery. At the end of the day, how could you help others when you couldn't even help yourself? Practicing self-care better equips you to help someone struggling with addiction. It guides you to persistently navigate this challenging role.

 

Recommend to them fun and healthy activities to engage in

You can always provide support and help without enabling addiction by recommending fun and healthy activities for them to engage in their daily lives. This will redirect them to a healthy future goal. You can channel your imagination and do a bit of research to help the person live a happy and fulfilling life without the need to be devoured by the bottomless bit of addiction.

 

Avoid bringing up their past

Understand that people learn from their mistakes, and people who struggle with addiction are provided with an opportunity to recover from their past. Bringing up their past could induce relapse. Instead of this, you can encourage, empathize, and support them along their gradual progress of recovery without throwing judgments at them or devaluing them merely because of their addiction problem.

 

Lend an open ear and listen to them

Make the first move of intonating your support by lending an open ear. Let them know that you're there for them and that they should not be afraid to ask for help. Most of the time, they just want to talk and open up to loosen the burden of heavy thoughts and emotions.

 

Practice patience

Helping someone recover from addiction is no easy undertaking. But you must keep in mind that recovery takes time. Having to build a new life and transition from the hurdles of the past can be quite a challenge for them. Recovery may have its ups and downs. Downs may include relapses, but that doesn't mean it's the end for these individuals struggling with addiction. There's always hope and light at the end of the tunnel. We just have to keep going.

 

The Takeaway: A Tool For Healing

 

Finally, to illuminate you in your endeavors with recovery and in life's ups and downs that may steer you to a whiplash of emotions and sentiments, a highly recommended read is Cleansing the Sanctuary of the Heart: Tools for Emotional Healing. It offers practical guidance for healing emotional wounds. There is no doubt that this valuable tool will help and guide you in supporting someone in addiction recovery.

 

Are you interested in grabbing a hold of this greatly beneficial book? Need not say more because David & Beverly Sedlacek's Cleansing the Sanctuary of the Heart: Tools for Emotional Healing, along with the book You Are Wonderfully Made: Christian Solutions to Addiction, are the exemplary ones for you to add to your collection. To make your purchase through the author's website, click here today.

 

While you're at it, an inspiring article about finding strength in vulnerability may interest you.