Family plays a vital role in the recovery process after holistic rehab or mental health treatment. You have the power to help your loved one succeed as they build a new life in recovery, but knowing what to do and when can be difficult. The most important fact to remember is that family support makes all the difference in someone’s ability to stay sober and is often the key to helping someone stay in recovery and avoid relapse. Here are some of the things you can do to heal together and build strong bonds.
Prioritize Healing
When someone you love struggles with substance abuse or mental health problems, family members endure wounds and develop scars too. Remember that you have a healing process to go through as much as the person in treatment. Everyone in a family touched by drugs, alcohol, or mental health trauma needs to work on their own recovery at the same time. Healing is possible if you are patient and persistent.
Respect Your Value
No matter what you or your loved one’s definition of family is—blood relatives or chosen members— everyone’s opinions, feelings, and experiences matter. Involvement in your loved one’s recovery is a critical source of strength for them. In many substance abuse situations, trust is eroded because of lying, theft, abuse, and codependency. When someone you love has mental health problems, the stress and exhaustion of supporting their struggle is mentally and emotionally exhausting. When you yourself learn how to recover from the ups and downs created by someone you love, trust and a solid bond can be restored.
Communicate Effectively
Every word you utter has power for a family member in recovery. They are learning how their behavior and choices affected the people around them, and they will listen closely to gauge your responses when they are in holistic rehab and recovery. Support, understanding, and second chances lead to the kind of effective communication that can be the difference between success and failure for a loved one in recovery.
On a day-to-day basis, good communication with loved ones in recovery is critical. Some of the most effective habits a family member can develop include:
Active listening: Become a better listener by being attentive to what the other person is saying, not just focusing on how you will respond.
Positive body language: Maintain normal eye contact and avoid defensive postures like crossed arms–non-verbal cues speak volumes.
Honesty: It can be difficult to honestly express yourself to someone in recovery but they need to hear your real feelings to reestablish a meaningful relationship.
Set Healthy Boundaries
You don’t want to be overinvolved in someone’s life or make them feel smothered, but you want to make it clear that you’re there for them no matter what they need. Offering family support to someone in recovery does not mean giving in to their every whim. There can be negative consequences to not setting boundaries with a loved one who’s recovering from drug or alcohol addiction or who suffers with mental health problems.
Asking for help is part of recovery, and setting healthy boundaries is part of healing for family members. Some examples:
- Set reasonable limits
- Explain your feelings
- Define and respect individual boundaries
- Offer love and compassion
- Eliminate codependency
- Ask for personal space
Foster the Right Environment
Family members can foster an environment of understanding and support for anyone suffering with mental health challenges or substance abuse problems through open communication and genuine empathy. You can express true understanding and care and provide reassurance by avoiding judgment, disdain, contempt, and impatience. Everyone is working toward being the best version of themselves and a truly accepting environment delivers.
If you are confused or scared, be open about your feelings so your loved ones can help offer guidance and support. Individual therapy sessions or group meetings are always available to provide a foundation for family members of those who are in treatment.
Contact the holistic rehab center Beachside Rehab in West Palm Beach, Florida, to learn about our facility’s inpatient and outpatient drug and alcohol rehab, mental health treatment, and holistic recovery. Personalized treatment plans, including working with families, are designed to help you reach your best self. Call today at 866-349-1770 to speak with a trained admissions counselor.