How to Support a Loved One Going Through Drug Rehab
If your loved one is enrolled in an inpatient treatment or outpatient addiction treatment program, they’re experiencing a pivotal time in their lives, a time of immense change. Transitioning from a life dependent on drugs or alcohol to full-time sobriety involves changing unhealthy thought patterns and behaviors relatively short. It’s an intense time of learning, coping, and regaining control over their lives and health. Loved ones can support someone going through drug and alcohol rehab in many different ways. Below are a few you can use to show your loved one you care about them and their addiction recovery journey. When your loved one is going through drug and alcohol detox or other substance abuse treatment, here are the ways to support a loved one going through drug rehab in Arizona:
For more information on how our addiction treatment programs can help heal drug or alcohol dependence, please give The River Source a call at 866-294-9331.
1. Reduce Unnecessary Arguing
Stress can be a trigger to use drugs and alcohol. Try to maintain a positive relationship with your loved one at this difficult time. Any close people can wind up arguing, but when your loved one is focused on their drug or alcohol treatment, it’s best to reduce friction so that you don’t interrupt this critical focus.
2. Avoid Judgements
When people are under the influence of drugs and alcohol, they can say or do things they wouldn’t work in other circumstances. Try to avoid passing judgments. Guilt will not help your loved one manage their substance use disorder more quickly. Tell them how proud you are of their bravery in entering their treatment center.
3. Encourage Them
During residential inpatient rehab or intensive outpatient treatment, your loved one is bound to have good and bad days. When you talk to them after a difficult day, please encourage them to begin fresh the next day. Remind them that good days and bad days are average when it comes to addiction recovery.
What to Say to Someone in Rehab
When your loved one is going through their recovery process in inpatient drug rehab, it’s helpful to say the right things–the things that matter most to them. Remind them that you love and care for them, that their approach to recovery is inspiring, and that they have already come a long way. Let them know that you are thinking of them and will be there to listen now and after they complete their addiction treatments.
What Not to Say
When your loved one is in a residential treatment center in Arizona for drug addiction, alcohol addiction, or dual diagnosis, it’s best to avoid making any comments that might make your loved one feel guilty or shame. They’re in drug rehab learning how to cope with negative emotions, and those types of feelings won’t help them learn more quickly or successfully.
How to Support Your Loved One After Rehab
After your loved one completes their rehab program, remember that they’re not ‘cured.’ Substance use disorders are chronic disorders, and addiction recovery is a long-term process that continues long after drug rehab. You can support your loved one’s continued recovery by encouraging them to attend aftercare programming or continue naturopathic therapies that help healthy living. You might encourage them to seek local 12-step programs near their home in Mesa, AZ, or Tucson, AZ.
Family Therapy and Support at the River Source
When looking for ways to support a loved one going through drug rehab in Arizona, remind your loved one that The River Source features a lifetime alumni program for clients and family therapy that supports the long-term recovery process. Our rehab facility offers a full continuum of care with addiction treatments that target the mind, body, and spirit. Contact our alcohol and drug rehab center at 866-294-9331 to learn more about our comprehensive levels of care, detox programs, and evidence-based and holistic approach to addiction recovery.
