Author: Charlie Carlson

If someone you love is suffering from drug or alcohol addiction, you’re not alone. ‘Is it Time?’ looks at timing an intervention properly for your loved one.

In fact, one in seven people in the United States will experience substance addiction at some point in their lifetime. And if that statistic shocks you, keep reading.

Because the really sad truth is that out of those addicts, only ten percent will receive treatment. Don’t let your loved one become a part of these heartbreaking statistics.

If you’re worried about the wellness of a friend or family member, it may be time to stage a drug intervention. With the help of an intervention, you’ll be able to communicate your concern in a controlled environment and offer your loved one professional treatment.

Not sure if it’s the right time? Don’t worry. We’re here to help.

In this article, we’ll break down the top signs that it’s time to stage an intervention. Let’s get started.

Constant Lateness

If your loved one is constantly late or absent from family events, work, or appointments, this is a sign that it’s time to stage a drug or alcohol intervention.

Addiction causes chronic lateness because the addict may experience hangovers, withdrawals, or the inability to transport themselves from one place to another.

Lying or Withholding Information

If you often catch someone in your life lying, they may need an intervention.

After all, there’s a lot of shame associated with addiction. To cover their tracks, addicts will often lie about where they’re going, what they’re doing, and who they’re seeing.

Don’t let these lies slip by you, even if they seem harmless. They may be an important clue that your loved one is hitting rock bottom and needs professional help.

Deterioration of Relationships

Many people who suffer from addiction will also suffer in their relationships, whether that means friendships or romantic connections. The mood swings, lying, irregularity, and unreliability make being in a relationship with an addict extremely taxing.

The deterioration of relationships is often a clear sign that a person is in need of serious help. Providing them with a loving, supportive intervention is a great way to get them to agree to join a treatment program.

A Decline in Physical Wellness

Drugs and alcohol weaken the immune system. For this reason, addicts may become sick more often than the average healthy person.

Addicts may also have a hard time taking care of personal grooming habits. Their physical appearance may suffer.

A sudden decline in a loved one’s physical wellness might mean that it’s time to stage an intervention. Here are some tell-tale signs to look out for:

• Sudden weight loss or weight gain
• Extremely large or small pupils
• Changes in appetite
• Strange body odors
• Runny nose
• Tremors
• Slurred speech
• Disheveled appearance
• Obvious lack of sleep

These symptoms may appear out of the blue or worsen slowly as the person’s disease progresses. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, keep tabs on it to ensure that you can track its development.

Increased Tolerance

Whatever an addict’s drug of choice is, one thing is for sure: as their addiction strengthens, they’ll need more of the drug to function. So, if you notice your loved one refilling their prescriptions more often, or buying more alcohol than usual, it could be time to call an interventionist.

Brain Fog

We all have days where we feel mentally foggy. But when a person is suffering from addiction, brain fog will occur more often than not.

If someone if your life is exceptionally forgetful, or they take a long time to respond when you speak to them, this may be a sign of addiction. Help them clear their mind and take back control of their life by encouraging them to join a drug and alcohol recovery program.

Volatile Emotional Reactions

Drugs and alcohol mess with the delicate chemical balances in the brain.

Combining these chemical changes with the shame and fear that come along with addiction can often cause huge emotional swings and shocking reactions.

For example, if you ask a person who’s suffering from addiction where they’re going, they may react with anger, aggression, or rage. This misplaced reaction is a common sign of progressed addiction.

Although these emotional swings are difficult to deal with, keep in mind that it’s not their choice. Their addiction is taking hold of them. Stay patient and organize a drug addiction intervention as soon as possible.

Financial Instability

It’s expensive to support an addiction to drugs or alcohol. It’s also difficult to keep steady employment when you’re suffering from addiction.

Financial instability is a huge red flag when it comes to identifying addiction and figuring out when someone needs help. If your loved one is struggling financially, pawning their possessions, asking to borrow money, or stealing, it’s time to come to their rescue.

Legal Trouble

From drug charges to DUI’s, legal troubles are difficult to avoid when you’re addicted to drugs or alcohol.

If someone you love is in trouble with the law for a charge related to or caused by their addiction, it’s imperative that you stage an intervention for them as soon as possible.

Loss of Employment

As we know, securing regular employment is difficult when you’re suffering from addiction. Not only will addiction stop you from performing well at any job, but it may also cause you to miss shifts without explanation.

Losing employment can lead to a further developed addiction problem or even homelessness. For this reason, it’s one of the top signs that it’s time to stage a drug intervention.

Worsening Mental Illness

Mental illness and addiction often go hand-in-hand. People who suffer from any number of mental illnesses may use drugs or alcohol to escape from or soothe their symptoms.

Unfortunately, drug addiction will only make mental illness worse. If someone in your life suffers from mental illness and their symptoms suddenly worsen, addiction may be to blame.

For individuals with mental illness and addiction issues, dual diagnosis and the corresponding treatments are necessary. Stage an intervention to help these people enroll in the right treatment program for them.

Abandoned Hobbies

Loss of interest in once-beloved hobbies is a clear sign of drug addiction.

This happens because once a person becomes an addict, their drug of choice consumes their life. Drug use rewires the way your brain experiences pleasure, making activities that used to provide joy seem meaningless.

This causes addicts to lose enjoyment in things they once loved. Their only goal is to locate and consume the drugs or alcohol that their brain craves.

Even though abandoning hobbies may not seem as serious as losing employment or getting in trouble with the police, it’s still an important sign of addiction. If you notice it happening to someone in your life, an intervention can help.

Isolation

Isolation is unfortunately common among addicts. Addiction can form because of deep-rooted feelings of isolation and separation, and it can also create these feelings in anyone suffering from this disease.

When you’re addicted to drugs or alcohol, the potential judgments of others may cause you to keep to yourself. You may also want to partake in your drug of choice alone or with people who aren’t your friends or family.

How to Stage a Drug Intervention

If you know that staging an intervention will help someone you love but you’re not sure where to start, don’t stress. Follow these tips for the best outcome possible.

Connect with a Specialist

Don’t try to stage an intervention alone. Connect with a specialist first. A professional addiction counselor will keep your intervention on track and help to guide the addict toward receiving treatment.

Invite Loved Ones

Showing an addict that they’re loved is an important part of staging an intervention.

Gather a group of supportive individuals to come to the intervention and show that they care. If they are willing, have each person say a few words to express their love and concern.

Practice Makes Perfect

Don’t jump into an intervention without practicing first. Gather everyone who will be present and run through who will speak and what they’ll say. This will lessen some of the stress during the actual event.

Don’t Lose Hope

Not every intervention is successful right away. It’s important to stay calm, collected, and not to lose hope. Keep your eye on the prize, even if the addict resists.

Lean on the intervention specialist for support if you feel overwhelmed. And remember that you should never raise your voice or lose your cool during an intervention.

You Can Do This

Use the information above to figure out if now is the time to stage an intervention for your loved one. If they’re displaying any of these behaviors, it’s time to get serious about helping them.

By staging a drug intervention, you’ll provide them with the best gift possible: a chance to receive treatment. Although organizing an intervention may seem like a big task, take it one step at a time, and remember how amazing the outcome can be.Do you need help? You’re not alone. Contact us anytime and we’d be glad to offer support in any way we can.

Getting sober is, hands down, one of the most difficult things you’ll ever do. To help you accomplish the task, and more (read on…) we’ve made this list of ‘6 Rules to Stay Sober After Rehab.’

Since staying sober? That could prove to be even more challenging than getting sober in the long run..!

There are drug and alcohol rehab programs in place to help people get clean. They can serve as an invaluable resource for anyone trying to kick a drug or alcohol habit for good.

To stay sober, though, a person needs to work hard to put themselves into the right positions in life. Otherwise, they could end up running right back to their old habits and using drugs or alcohol again.

Studies have shown that anywhere from 40 to 60 percent of people who get sober after battling drug addiction or alcohol will relapse. Here are 6 rules that will help you avoid becoming a part of this startling statistic.

1. Look for a Stable Place to Live

Where are you going to live once you’re finished with rehab? This is a very important question—and the answer could very well dictate how difficult it is for you to stay sober.

You should not, under any circumstances, move back into a home or apartment that could trigger you to go back to using drugs or drinking. If, for example, you lived with a roommate who used to do drugs or drink with you, it would be a mistake to move back in with them.

At the same time, you might not be able to afford a place of your own following a rehab stint. You might also not know if you’re ready to live on your own and hold yourself accountable for your actions.

With all these things in mind, it’s a good idea to strongly consider moving in with your parents or other family members. The key is to find a stable living situation that’ll make it as easy as possible for you to lead a sober lifestyle.

In order to beat an addiction to drugs or alcohol once and for all, it’s going to be important for you to establish good habits in your life. That will be much simpler to do when you’re not surrounded by things that could trigger you at any time.

2. Surround Yourself with Support

You don’t want to surround yourself with potential triggers when you finish up with rehab. But you do want to surround yourself with lots of support. It’s easy to stay sober when you have the right people in your corner cheering you on.

So, who should be a part of your support system?

It all depends on who you have in your life at the moment and how willing they are to support you in light of everything that you may have put them through in the past.

Generally speaking, here are some people you can rely on to serve as part of your support system:

• Your parents
• Your siblings
• Your close friends
• Your counselors/therapists

You may also want to think about joining an addiction support group in your area. This will provide you with immediate access to people who are going through the same things as you are right now.

If for whatever reason, you don’t have many people you can turn to for support as you fight to stay sober, you might have to think outside the box to find supportive people. You could, for instance, join a church in your city or town and look to fellow churchgoers for support.

You’re not going to be able to remain sober forever on your own. You’ll need people you can turn to when you feel weak. Build a support group for yourself that will help you during your troubled times and give you the strength you need.

3. Stay Away From Old Friends

We just mentioned that welcoming “your close friends” into your circle of trust would be a smart idea. And to some degree, we stand behind that statement. Your close friends should be involved in your fight to stay sober.

But we should clarify that these “close friends” should not be people you used to use drugs or drink alcohol with. Those types of friends will sometimes try to weasel their way back into your life after you leave rehab, and they will often do more harm than good.

If you move back to the same area you used to live after your rehab stint, it might be almost impossible to avoid your old friends altogether. But if you know that they’re still using drugs or drinking alcohol, you should do what you can to steer clear of them.

That means keeping yourself out of places where you used to hang out. It also means limiting the in-person and phone communication you have with your now-former friends.

Again, this doesn’t mean that you can’t say hello to an old friend if you spot them while you’re walking down the street. But you shouldn’t go out of your way to open up a spot in your life for them at this point.

4. Find New Hobbies

One of the things that makes it so hard for people to stay sober is that they quickly realize how much time they were spending using drugs or drinking alcohol after rehab. Boredom can start to set in after a while when people don’t have much going on in their life.

Prepare for this before leaving rehab. Find some new hobbies that you want to pursue and give yourself as little free time as you can when you head back home.

There are so many hobbies you can use to fill up your calendar. Check out a few of the hobbies you might want to pursue:

• Read more books
• Get into the gym and get yourself into great shape
• Join an intramural sports team
• Volunteer with an organization in your community
• Play video games

You should, of course, try not to go too overboard with your new hobbies. You don’t want to develop an unhealthy obsession for, say, video games and replace one addiction for another.

But for the most part, these hobbies will keep you out of trouble and make it easier to stick to sobriety.

5. Set Goals for the Future

What do you want to do with your life now that you aren’t actively addicted to drugs or alcohol anymore? The possibilities are endless!

You should feel some sense of hope after rehab and want to improve your life. You should also have some ideas about how you can go about doing it.

People set all kinds of goals for their future when they emerge from rehab. Your list of goals can look something like this:

• Go to college and get a degree
• Start saving money towards buying a house
• Find a career (not just a job!)
• Get into amazing shape
• Travel the world and see new things

If you had set some of these same goals a year ago, they would have seemed unattainable. But now that you’re in a better place in life, you can reach these goals without breaking a sweat.

Monitor your goals as you move forward and add to them, too. There is always room for improvement, and you should always be working towards something in your life.

6. Realize the Road to Recovery Has No End

There are some recovering addicts who are under the impression that if they can remain sober for six months, a year, 5 years, 10 years, or 25 years, they can officially beat their addiction.

Unfortunately, that’s not how recovery works. Once you’ve accepted that you’re an addict, you will be an addict for the rest of your life. The struggle to stay sober will never end for you, and you’ll need to continue working on it for the rest of your life.

Don’t let that discourage you, though!

There will be times when staying sober is a challenge. But there will also be times when you’ll breeze through life without even thinking about your addiction.

Just don’t fall into the trap of thinking that your road to recovery has come to an end at a final destination. If you make the mistake of letting your guard down, it could lead to your addiction rearing its ugly head and wreaking havoc on your life.

Stay Sober by Following These 6 Rules at All Times

A good rehab center should set you up with all the tools you need to stay sober once you’re back out in the real world.

But it’s on you to put those tools to good use from the moment you walk out of the rehab center. If you don’t, you could end up right back where you started before you spent time in rehab. And that’s obviously not the place you want to be.Contact us today to see how our drug and alcohol rehab services can help you or one of your loved ones fight addiction. We have programs in place to help addicts and a supportive staff that will give you a fighting chance.

Addiction is a term thrown around as though there is one clear definition. While addiction generally involves a few similar characteristics, each instance is different. Read on for the foremost ‘Misconceptions and Myths About Addiction!’

This poses a problem for society as well as individuals who suffer from addiction. When we fail to recognize the nuances of addiction, we fail to treat those who suffer from it.

We’re going to cover some of the myths about addiction in an effort to bring a greater understanding of what it entails and how we can support our loved ones who are experiencing it.

Common Myths About Addiction

Whether stereotypes and myths about addiction are pushed through the media, literature, family, or friends, the reality is that they are prevalent in society.

It can be difficult to empathize with those who are in such different circumstances from our own. Hopefully, this article can shed some light on the various pieces of addiction that are so commonly misunderstood.

Let’s get started:

“The Typical Addict”

We can all probably imagine the person we’ve been led to believe is an addict. Someone who is dirty, irresponsible, erratic, intermittently homeless, (insert your preferred stereotype).

We’ve been made to fear these people, loping a number of stereotypes about race, socioeconomic status, demeanor, and appearance together to form the image of a castaway. This is simply not an accurate portrayal of someone with a substance abuse disorder.

Sure, addiction can lead a person to homelessness, erratic behavior, and other negative life situations in some cases. It’s not the case, however, that all of the people experiencing substance abuse issues fit these categories.

We’re going to break down this myth in two sections:

“Those Kinds of People”

The result of the stereotypical addict described above is a reaction from the general public. When we internalize these ideas, whether or not they’re true, we begin to brush groups of people off entirely.

As an exercise, imagine yourself for a moment. Think about your life as it stands, good or bad. Now think through all of the safety-nets that you have keeping you from falling into a substance abuse disorder or becoming homeless.

Really think about what it would take for you to be without a home, or for you to be relentlessly addicted to a drug of some kind. It’s tough to think of all of those things because they would need to be pretty hard and unfortunate.

Now think back to the people we’re trained to brush off– those people have experienced, in one way or another, the sequence of events that would lead them to a point of despair.

When we think back through what that would look like, we get to a point where we realize that person’s humanity. Saying “those people” is a way of ignoring the reality of hardship in another person’s life, effectively casting a person out of our minds.

Who Really Suffers from Addiction?

Some of the people who fit the description of an “addict” do, in fact, suffer from addiction. It’s a marginal amount of the population suffering from substance abuse, though.

Addiction can fall upon everyone in one way or another. Legal drugs are some of the most corrosive and abused in the United States. Alcoholism is and has been for a long time, one of the leading addictions in this country.

More recently, prescription opioids like pain and anxiety medications are commonly abused and lead to overdose. The people suffering from addiction to these substances are present in our daily lives.

Continuing to function in daily life while abusing a substance becomes easier and more normal as the addiction progresses. There is a tipping point, of course, but that point may not occur for a number of years before it a person needs to change.

Even heroin attics, in some cases, can function in a normal way for a time. The point is, noticing someone with a substance abuse disorder is more complicated than the world would have you think. Additionally, addiction may be present in people that you swore were entirely healthy.

“Addiction Is Always a Choice”

If you’re thinking in very specific terms, yes, addiction is always a choice. It’s important to think critically about your ideas and assumptions, though.

Was there a point where the addicted person could have said “no” but chose to use again? Yes. Is every choice equal to the next?

That answer is no.

Each instance of substance abuse is unique, and most substances are used as escapes from different elements of a person’s life. While enjoyment might be the initial intention, abuse insidiously finds a way to help a person avoid difficulty.

The following example may seem like a far-cry from issues of substance abuse but sit with it for a little while.

“Easy Choices”

Imagine that you work long hours at a rubber factory, grinding day-in and day-out to make enough money to afford rent, insurance, and food. In this instance, you’re paid very little and you have no respect for what you do or who you work for.

We can all probably relate to a workplace that we don’t align with ideologically or personally. Now imagine that you recently went to the doctor who told you that eating any unhealthy, sugary sweets would greatly increase your risk of getting diabetes which your insurance won’t cover.

If you get type II diabetes, you will be spread even thinner than you already were financially and you’d be faced with the additional task of monitoring your insulin.

Your boss gives you mandatory overtime and you’re famished. It’s been a long, 14-hour shift on your feet and you hop into the car then drive home. You forgot to buy groceries because of the overtime, and the only thing left in your freezer is a tub of ice-cream.

You have to work in four hours and would really prefer to eat some ice cream and get what little sleep you still can, but your doctor told you that you’re at the tipping point.

People Are Faced with Adversity

Choices are choices, but we’re human. Swap out diabetes, the working environment, and ice cream for addiction, an abusive family member or partner, and a drug to help one cope with those experiences.

We can’t treat every decision with the same weight. There is a good deal of environmental interference that affects a person’s decision to use a drug.

With that in mind, think more carefully when you assume that a person has made the choice to “throw their life away” or use drugs.

“Quitting Just Requires Willpower”

Addictions are a confluence of emotional and physical dependence. In many cases, mental illness predates or emerges as a result of drug use and the two have a direct interplay.

Additionally, the reality of withdrawals is one that can sometimes lead to further physical damage. As the body gets used to the chemical abuse, it craves those chemicals intensely. Whether that craving takes the form of a mental obsession or a serious physical pang, the experience is agonizing.

Recovery typically entails a program in addition to mental health counseling. There are also a lot of environmental factors that contribute to relapse and a person’s desire to use again.

Seeing old friends who you used to use with, being in the room where use would occur, or experiencing emotional traumas that would lead to use can all be very triggering experiences.

Dangers of Withdrawal

Withdrawal comes in different forms and will vary with the substance that a person is coming off of. The length of withdrawals is vastly different between, say, opioid users and users of stimulants.

The symptoms of withdrawal can include extreme anxiety, hallucinations, fevers, fatigue, nausea, chills, depression, suicidal thoughts, vomiting, and more. Beyond the initial pangs of withdrawal lie psychological symptoms that are similarly painful.

The point is, recovering from drug addiction is a long and difficult process. It’s not as simple as waking up one day and deciding to simply stop using. Abuse involves a number of behaviors and circumstances that have formed around the person’s use.

Living situations, familial relationships, habits, friends, and employment are typically tailored to exist around a person’s drug use. In many cases, all of those pillars of a person’s life are negatively affected by drug use. This is especially true in the case of relationships and employment situations.

Getting clean requires some physical and emotional damage control. Mending relationships, getting through withdrawals, and finding a meaningful role in society are all mountains that need to be climbed.

Those mountains look pretty big when you’re at the bottom and using would prolong the need to start climbing.

Need Some Help?

You may be experiencing addiction or know of someone who is. Understanding the myths about addiction is one way to empathize with your affected loved ones or feel a little bit about your own situation. Visit our site to learn more about ways to help or get help.

Stopping cold turkey could kill an alcoholic. That’s right – sometimes getting clean from alcohol is fatal and we’re going to tell you why. It is especially important to know, now what we suspect its ‘alcohol detox time’ for you or someone you care for.  

It has to do with the alcohol withdrawal or detox process. Basically, alcoholics have taught their body a new normal (alcoholism) and the shock of taking that away can cause everything from a stroke to a week-long headache.

In some cases, alcoholics will suffer from delirium tremens or DT’s, which are often fatal without treatment.

With that information in mind, it’s essential to do alcohol detox time in a professional facility. They can treat symptoms as they arise and intervene if the more severe effects come up.

You’ve already lost years of your life/your loved ones life to alcohol. Don’t lose them to the process. Want to learn more about why a detox program is important? Read below.

Alcohol Detox Time: How Long Does it Take?

Detoxing from the chemical itself in your body can take up to a week, but rebuilding your life from alcohol addiction can take years. The more supported the alcoholic is in the initial detox and rehab process, the higher the chances are of them succeeding in their journey to sobriety.

However, you can’t force an addict to recover when they’re unwilling to recover. You can put them through a detox and rehab program, but you can’t make them stay away from alcohol once they come out.

One major reason people relapse is that their rehab didn’t address their dual diagnosis. A dual diagnosis is when someone has a mental health issue that they use the substance to treat.

If someone with anxiety drinks to slow down their thoughts, stopping drinking isn’t going to treat their anxiety. They may come out and not drink again, but turn to another drug that treats their symptoms.

When you’re finding a detox program, look for a facility that can treat dual diagnoses as well. That’s the ultimate recipe for success.

The Alcohol Withdrawal Timeline

Each alcoholic is different so the timeline can change from person to person. One alcoholic may experience the withdrawal symptoms for three days at one stage, while the other person only has them for one.

The different times have to do with genetics, the amount of alcohol in the system, the length of the addiction, and general health.

That said, here’s what the process looks like.

Stage 1: The Initial Comedown

About six to twelve hours after the last drink, the alcoholic will begin to sober up and may have the symptoms of a hangover. Many alcoholics drink upon waking to keep a hangover away, so it’s hard to tell what is detox and what are classic hangover symptoms.

They may feel nausea, headaches, and sensitivity to light or loud noises. Emotionally they may feel anxious, irritated, and they may even shake. These are the signs of the body asking for more alcohol, to maintain it’s “new” normal.

Strategic people sometimes aim to sleep through this stage, though they’re not often successful. The body is so used to alcohol-induced sleep that insomnia during the entire detox journey is common.

Lack of sleep exacerbates all the withdrawal symptoms and can make everything from headaches to moods worse. Your body can also develop seizures from lack of sleep – which we’ll explore more in the next stage.

Many alcoholics, on their own, never pass these first hours. Though it’s an unpleasant experience, this is not necessarily the worst stage of detox.

Stage 2: Day One Post-Alcohol

The first twenty-four hours after your last drink are some of the hardest, at least on the surface. You may feel the same as you did right after the drinks wore off, but for two to three days.

Loss of appetite and a general feeling of exhaustion are common, and the inability to sleep doesn’t play well into that. You may find you can’t keep anything down or that you’re vomiting up nothing – it’s all part of this stage’s course.

Mood swings are almost unavoidable during this stage. Depression may set in and can last for weeks or months after getting sober.

You may have tremors in this stage, meaning your hand or body will shake without reason. These are not the same thing as tremens, which you could encounter in stage three.

For most people, this stage lasts one to two days. It could last up to three if you’re particularly unlucky.

Stage 3: Days 2-4

For most people, the second stage ends on the second-day post-sobriety. For others, it ends at three – so this stage’s start time may be at day two or three, or four or five.

This stage is a little more intense, physically speaking. Your body is not happy and your systems are on high alert.

Your heart palpitations from stage two may turn into a racing heart and higher blood pressure. Your breathing may quicken and you may sweat more – as your body temperature will likely go up. You don’t have a fever from an illness, but from your body working hard to establish a new normal.

During this stage, you may feel irritable and confused, along with generally anxious. Many people have panic attacks in this stage, some over and over again. Panic attacks have their own physical symptoms, which look a lot like what your body is experiencing in this stage.

Hence, a panic attack may make your pre-existing symptoms worse. This is when medical professionals would step in and medicate the addict to slow the body processes down and treat the symptoms – but only if they’re in a medical detox facility.

Stage 3: The Most Dangerous Stage

It’s thought that Amy Winehouse died in this stage – not as a direct result from alcohol poisoning. And deaths happen more in this stage than any other stage – given the intensity of the psychological symptoms.

While you may feel physically better than you did in the past stages, it’s now your brain’s turn to deal with the effects. Many people in stage three, which starts four to five days after your last drink, experience hallucinations.

Hallucinations can drive people to do unsafe things, as they’re unaware that what they’re seeing isn’t real.

It’s also the stage where delirium tremens and seizures come into play – which are the most deadly symptoms.

A seizure is essentially a heart attack but in the brain. Some scientists and doctors choose to call them brain attacks. In this brain attack, something blocks blood (with oxygen in it) from reaching a specific part of the brain.

That part of the brain starves for oxygen and can lose capabilities or stop working entirely. That’s why you see some people lose the ability to speak or walk after a bad stroke.

Delirium Tremens

Delirium tremens are unlikely. They happen in three to five percent of people, many who have been alcoholics for years. We don’t necessarily know what causes them, but it’s like a central nervous system rebound.

Some people think it has to do with alcohol-depleted stores of GABA in the brain.

For some people, the tremens are just like a mild shake, but for others, they’re accompanied by hallucinations or delirium (the inability to separate fact from fiction in reality).

The worst DT’s can cause seizures, as we talked about in our last point. The combination of all these symptoms can lead to death, which happens anywhere between 5-15% of the time.

In those instances, the extreme change from alcoholic to sobriety was just too much for the body to handle on its own.

If you’re worried about you or your loved one experiencing DT’s, then getting into a supervised medical detox is a must. They can pick up on the early signs of DT’s and treat them before they become worse or fatal.

Medical Detox Programs

Though the detox process is grueling and rebuilding your life is a hard and long process, both are worth it. Your life or your loved one’s life will be so much better a year from now, it’ll be almost unrecognizable.

To make the process a little less miserable, find a medical detox center. Not only will they help you or a loved one start rehab, but they’ll treat the worst of the alcohol withdrawal symptoms as they come along.

It costs more, but in the case that you or a loved one develops seizures or DT’s, it could save lives.

Starting the Detox Journey

If you’re ready to start or help someone start their alcohol detox time? It’s the best way to invest in sobriety and in the future.To talk to one of our intake counselors, click here.

Did you know over 21.5 million Americans aged 12 or older experienced substance use disorder in 2014 alone? This has affected millions of other lives, including their families’ and friends’. If you’re looking for more information, chances are you could use some help answering the question, ‘Am I an enabler?”

However, some of the reasons why an addict may have continued abusing substances are their friends and families, too. They may be enablers, which might have prevented an addict get the type of help they needed at the time.

If you have a loved one suffering from addiction, how do you know you’re enabling an addict? How do you know your help isn’t perpetuating the problem instead of solving it?

Enabling can be in the guise of help; read on to see which actions are enabling.

1. Lying to Cover Up Their Behavior

It’s quite common to cover up your loved one’s behavior to save face or to protect them from consequences. Families will lie to employers on behalf of their loved one who has failed to show up for work for days. They might lie to the addict’s friends and other family members to keep his/her condition hidden.

Although these actions are understandable, they do nothing to help the addict. Losing a job isn’t desirable but it’s a natural consequence of being unable to show up.

Lying to prevent an addict from facing consequences enables their addiction. They don’t realize the effect of their condition on them and on their loved ones.

Well-meaning friends and relatives might also be in the dark about their addiction. This would make them unable to help them the right away, further sending the addict down the rabbit hole.

2. Making Excuses on Their Behalf

Addiction isn’t always obvious. Your loved one might have symptoms here and there but nothing apparent. This is why friends and family might make excuses in their minds for a sudden change in behavior.

Enablers will tell themselves, “it’s because of stress” or “he’s acting different but there must be another reason.” Often, they don’t want to think of the worst case scenario. They may also have doubts about whether their loved one relapsed or not.

This is enabling because it delays treatment and it lets the addict continue with their ways. As you delay accepting the truth, they might even continue on to do some irreversible damages. These include the loss of a job, a car crash, or even a loss of life.

3. Ignoring Their Potential Dangerous Behavior

If the addict is already exhibiting dangerous behavior, acting like there’s nothing wrong shouldn’t be anyone’s choice of action. If you do know that there’s a problem but you choose to overlook it, you might get yourself in a risky situation.

Their brains change with the use of drugs. If they were harmless before, that doesn’t mean they can’t hurt you now. If they can’t get their next fix, This can make them restless, irritated, and even violent.

4. Supporting Them in Financial Matters

An addict will have no second thoughts on spending their money on drugs. Most of them spend it until they’ve exhausted their savings and properties. Many can’t even hold a job together, losing their main source of income.

As a result, they’re bound to run out of money for buying drugs and alcohol. They won’t also be able to pay their bills, rent, and get other essentials like food.

At this point, they’ll resort to asking for financial help from their friends and family members. They’ll tell you they’ll use it for paying bills. This can be a good enough reason for some people to be comfortable about giving them money.

Now, there are times when they’ll tell the truth and the money is for bills and groceries. Still, this isn’t any different from giving them money outright so they can fuel their addiction. It teaches them that they can continue to use their own money for buying drugs and alcohol instead.

It can be hard watching a loved one struggle, but practicing restraint on your part may be the help they need. Having no more money to fund their addiction might be the push they need to better their lives. If you continue to provide financial support, you’re saying in a way that their addiction is okay.

5. Takes Over Their Responsibilities

An addict will lose the ability to perform their responsibilities at home or work. They may forget to clean the house, keep the lawn trimmed, or bring the children to and from school. As a result, a spouse or a family member may feel obligated to pick up these tasks.

Losing a job, for example, means the spouse has to work more hours to keep up with their bills. When an addict fails to wash the dishes, their sibling might take over that duty instead.

This has the same effect as giving them money. You’re saying that it’s okay for them to continue using drugs as someone else will pick up their responsibilities. Not forcing them to do their chores will also give them more time for their addiction.

6. Avoiding Confrontation with the Addict

The signs are all there and the addict is well on their way to hitting rock bottom. Still, some people will avoid confronting them about it for various reasons. They may not like confrontation or they may not know how to go about it.

Either way, the inaction is unhelpful, and it may even be harmful. The addict will continue on a downward spiral until someone gets hurt.

Still, these reasons for avoiding confrontations aren’t unfounded. An addict gets defensive; they’re often in denial about their condition.

They often have the reasoning that they “can stop anytime they want.” They may also lash out at you, get violent, or say hurtful things to keep you off their backs. The truth is that they also don’t want to confront their addiction.

If you avoid confrontation, however, nothing is standing in their way. As a result, they’ll continue on with their lives as if nothing’s wrong.

7. Giving Them Too Many Second Chances

Often times, people don’t want to do anything drastic the first time they’ve gotten wind of a loved one’s addiction. They’ll talk to the addict, who might then apologize and say they’ll stop and get better.

This is not often the case, however. Without professional help, it’s easy to relapse and go back to their old ways. The next time you confront them about it, they’ll say the same thing.

The same thing happens – you’ll forgive them then give an ultimatum. You’ll end up thinking to yourself, “he’ll come around” or “he’ll keep his word this time” over and over.

The cycle then continues until one of you decides to do something about it other than forgiving. Sometimes, an addict needs to face the consequences of not following through on a promise in order to change. That won’t happen if you keep giving them second chances.

8. Having a Codependent Behavior with the Addict

Sometimes, the actions above are because of codependency with the addict. Many fear that talking to them and staging an intervention might cause the addict to be angry and run away.

In this scenario, they’re being dependent on the addict as much as the addict is dependent on them. They may need the addict close by in order to fulfill their emotional and/or physical needs. Thus, they end up enabling the addict, whether they’re unaware or not.

This is sometimes rooted in the fact that other people like feeling that another one “needs” them. An enabler may take pleasure from being a caretaker of another human being. They make sure that the other party always “needs” them.

This becomes unhealthy when this feeling overrides the desire for the addict to become better. This behavior isn’t helping them get over their addiction, it’s helping them stay sick.

The Difference Between Helping and Enabling an Addict

To stop enabling an addict, it’s important to know when you’re helping and when you’re enabling. By definition, enabling means performing actions that don’t allow the addict to reflect, thus delaying their confrontation with their condition and situation.

In this scenario, helping might be inaction; not supporting them with their bills, chores, work, and other responsibilities might be the help they need.

Of course, you can also take action to help, such as by staging an intervention or forcing them into rehab. You may also extend financial help by paying for an institution to assist with their rehabilitation.

When the addict gets better, you can further help by not mentioning the substance around them. You may also help them get back to their feet by providing a room in your house or assisting them in looking for a job.

Find Help for Addiction Now

If you find yourself enabling an addict, it’s time to take measures that will help instead. Contact us today and let us know what you’re going through. Let’s discuss how we can help with your loved one’s addiction.

Many addicts, already know they need help. Yet, not many of them are able to receive the help they need. Nearly 200,000 people die prematurely every year because of drug abuse. North America takes the lead, with the most drug-related deaths worldwide.

While death and drug addiction seem to go hand in hand, they don’t have to. Rehab is an effective way to save lives, and help addicts heal.

So why don’t more people attend treatment? For many, it’s because they are full of doubt. Not knowing what to bring to rehab, or what will happen during their stay, can make the whole process feel overwhelming.

Instead of sitting in doubt, empower yourself by learning about what rehab is really all about. Read on to learn more about what items you should bring with you to rehab, and what you should leave at home.

What to Bring to Rehab for Clothing

Many substance abuse centers will already have specific rules and regulations when it comes to clothing options. Before you start packing up your wardrobe, call and find out if there are any dress code rules.

If you don’t know what facility you’ll be attending, or aren’t able to contact them, that’s okay. Here’s a brief list of the clothing items you can bring

• Comfortable shoes
• Robe
• Sweater
• Shirts
• Pants
• Shorts
• Socks
• Underwear
• Bathing suit
• Shoes
• Flip Flops
• Slippers

How long will you be staying at the rehab center? If you’re only staying for 7 days, make sure you don’t overstuff your suitcase.

Once you arrive, you’ll have a limited amount of space, and might not have room for excess clothing. Yet, if you’re planning on being at a center for closer to 90 days, you’ll want to make sure you bring enough clothes to provide you with some variety.

The majority of rehab facilities today will have an onsite washer and dryer. So don’t worry about having enough clean outfits to last the duration of your stay.

Preparing for Unexpected Weather

You may find yourself going to a rehab facility that’s not in your home state. Since you’re not a local, you might not know what to expect the daily and nightly temperatures to be.

You also may be unprepared for sudden changes in the weather pattern. To prepare for unexpected weather changes, bring clothes you can layer with. For example, a t-shirt, with a cardigan, and a jacket, would be a great place to start.

Toiletry Dos

Once you have all of your clothes gathered, you can begin collecting toiletries. Here’s a short list of the toiletries you’ll want to bring with you.

• Lotion
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Hairbrush
• Hair Dryer
• Basic Makeup

We suggest that if you have a disposable toothbrush, you buy a new one for your time at rehab. This way you can prevent any risk of having to deal with sickness, on top of working on your recovery.

Make sure you bring enough toothpaste, shampoo, and conditioner to last the entire stay, plus 3 days. This way if you spill some or accidentally overuse some, you’ll still have plenty to last the entire time.

If makeup is something you enjoy wearing, there’s no reason you should have to stop. Yet, keep in mind, you’ll want to stick to only bringing the basic makeup items you need.

For example, you can bring your foundation, blush, eyeliner, eye shadow, and lipstick. Yet, try to avoid over packing by bringing multiple options, or unnecessary items.

Toiletry Don’ts

Avoid bringing any items that contain alcohol in them. Toiletries with ingredients like propyl alcohol are not only harmful to your body but are also considered contraband.

For example, hand sanitizer and hair spray would not be acceptable items for you to bring. Instead, you’d want to pack a bar of soap, or liquid soap without any alcohol in it.

As for your hair care, look for gels or mousses that are completely alcohol-free. Items that have any amount of alcohol are prohibited because of the risk they pose to yourself and the other visitors of the rehab.

One plus side about going alcohol-free with your toiletries is more healthy looking skin. Not only are items with alcohol a potential hazard for a relapse, but certain ones can also dry out your skin and hair.

Since your body will already be going through a major change, you’ll want to do everything you can to help it. Staying away from things that can dehydrate you, even with toiletries, is a great place to start.

Papers To Bring

Now we can start looking at the important documents you’ll need to bring with you. Here’s a short list of the papers you should definitely have.

• Identification
• Insurance Cards
• Debit Card or Credit Card
• Cash (small amount)

For your identification, you’ll want to bring one that has a photo with it. Your state ID, drivers license, or passport will work great. Next, you’ll need to make sure you have all of your insurance cards with you.

Finally, you’ll want to have some method to help you make payments. You don’t need to bring your debit card, checkbook, and credit card.

Instead, pick one of the three forms of payment to bring along with you. Also, make sure you have a little bit of cash on hand for small items from the vending machine.

Prescription Medications

Many people are afraid to bring their prescription medications to rehab. They are afraid the items might be contraband or may end up going missing.

Yet, the reality is, you need to bring any and all medications that a doctor has prescribed to you. The medications need to be in their original bottles. If one of the medications you use is a type of liquid, you’ll need to bring a brand new bottle.

The brand new bottle of your liquid medication also has to have an unbroken seal on it. Make sure you have a list that includes the name of every prescription you’re bringing with you, along with the recommended dosages.

It’s always a good idea to include on your list the name and phone number for your physician. Your prescription medications will not be contraband and will be under the supervision of the on-site staff.

Avoiding Becoming Homesick

So far we’ve been discussing practical items to make your stay more comfortable. Now, it’s time you start packing up a few items, that can help keep you from getting homesick. Here’s a short list of items that can help lift your spirits.

• Journal
• Hobby Items
• Personal Momentos

When you first get to rehab, you might not want anything to do with writing in a journal. Yet, after a few days go by, you’ll begin to have glimpses of clarity.

Journaling in Recovery

New thoughts and ideas will begin entering your mind, and you’ll want a way to capture them. Another reason to journal is that writing down your thoughts, and feelings can be extremely therapeutic.

Hobbies Pass the Time

If you already have a hobby, you can put it to good use during recovery. Hobbies such as photography, drawing, or reading can help put you in a good mood. Before you pack any books, check with your rehab center to see if they have any book restrictions.

Personal Momentos

We also recommend you bring a few personal mementos that remind you of something happy at your home. Since you don’t want to overpack, only choose 1-3 small items to accomplish this task.

For example, you may want to bring a picture your child drew for you, or a photo of you and your loved one. If you have a favorite dog, bring a photo of you and them having fun together. These small items can help tremendously when you need a reminder of what you’re working towards.

Life After Rehab

Knowing what to bring to rehab can lift a tremendous weight off of your shoulders. Now instead of guessing if you’re packing the right items, you can zip up your suitcase with confidence.

Another way you can remove doubts surrounding rehab is by looking at the bigger picture.

When you’re only looking at what’s in front of you, going away can seem like a life-long commitment. Being away from your loved ones for more than just a couple of days can feel overwhelming to some people.

Instead of looking at rehab at the end of the road, look at it as the beginning. Going to a substance abuse center is just the first step, in building the life you’ve always wanted.

Here at Best Rehabs In Arizona, we are on a mission to help addicts heal, and recover. Our highly qualified staff members have medical training, experience, and a passion for making a difference.Are you struggling with an addiction? Or do you know someone who is? Waiting to take action, can be a matter of life and death. Don’t wait any longer to start your journey towards recovery. Reach out to us today using our contact us page, and let us tell you how we can help.

Addiction is a disease, and many diseases are hereditary. But addiction is also behavior-based, which makes it more complex to study than, say, sickle cell anemia.

To fully understand is addiction hereditary or not, we have to look at the science of nature vs. nurture. Then we’ll look at the statistics of children of addicts and see what that science tells us.

In essence, addiction is both genetic and behavioral based. Here’s how that paradox works out based on the evidence we have and what we know about the human brain.

What is Addiction, Biologically Speaking?

Your brain is like a pharmacy. It needs and runs on chemicals to do all sorts of processes. Some of these processes need electro-chemical impulses, which are what send messages from one part of the brain to another.

Other parts of your brain use neurochemicals to control your behavior. And you likely already know this. Think back to elementary school when your teacher used to put gold stars on your papers.

That made you feel good, right? You did something worth rewarding and then you got a reward. If we think of your brain as the homework/paper you wrote, dopamine is the gold star.

Dopamine is the reward chemical, it gives us that little boost that makes us feel like we did a good job, or feel happy. And it’s also a major aspect of what leads to addiction.

Drugs and Dopamine

Humans want to be happy. It’s written into the US constitution, that we have the right to pursue happiness.

But not all of us lead lives where we can make that happiness organically or find it in our communities. Or maybe we can, but something else in our brains is off and we don’t process the happiness we have.

That’s where drugs come in. Almost every recreational drug (and some pharmaceuticals) have an effect on dopamine. They make their levels shoot up, which is why people feel good when they’re high.

In the case of some drugs, like heroin, some people say that they never feel that good (after quitting) ever again. Drugs are heavy hitters when it comes to dopamine levels.

You could almost think of your dopamine levels as one of those “how hard can you hit this” games at the carnival. The drug slams your dopamine way up to the top of the game, and it gets stuck there.

Your daily activities and other happiness factors can never hit with the same strength. That means there’s a gap in what your brain expects to get in dopamine, and what daily living provides.

The Addiction Cycle

So – now imagine that situation over and over again. You keep taking drugs and your brain experiences higher and higher levels of dopamine. Eventually, the drugs are supplying your brain with so much dopamine that your brain says “I don’t need to make my own anymore”.

Then when the person comes down off of drugs, they feel awful. Their brains are no longer making dopamine, and don’t have the ability to make as much dopamine as the drugs have it used to.

So to feel okay again, the person does the drug again. Starting the cycle over, as the dopamine stores get lower and the brain gets lazier. It’s called a positive feedback loop.

Nature vs. Nurture in the Brain

Now let’s shift to the idea of something being hereditary. As scientists see it right now, about 50% of who we are is fixed at birth (from genetics) and the other half is shaped by our environments.

Now if someone has some genetic history of addiction but they’re raised in a responsible family and taught about safe/no drug use, the “nurture” 50% can win out. They may never have issues with addiction.

But the opposite is true as well. If someone has a genetic history of addiction and are brought up in a household where addiction is either obvious or obvious but ignored, that person has almost a 100% chance of becoming an addict.

Actually, if you look at the science, children of addicts (mostly biological but some adopted) are 8 times more likely to become addicts.

So that would prove that addiction is hereditary, right? Not quite.

There are still children who are born into a line of addicts and raised by addicts, that stay sober (or use responsibly) their entire lives. And we don’t know why.

Twins in Addiction Studies

A lot of studies are done on twins, in the nature-nurture debate, since they have the same genetic material. If both twins are adopted separately, one could end up an addict in a non-addiction household and the other could end up fine.

That happens about 40% of the time.

That’s where the science runs out – we don’t know why this happens. One idea would be that one twin got more of the gene where addiction lives, but that’s not true – identical twins have the same DNA.

The other 50-60% of the time, if one twin is an addict, there’s a high chance (the percentage above) that they’ll be an addict too.

The best form of explanation we have for these differences is the nurture argument.

If 50% of addiction is genetic, as shown by most twins, that means 50% of it is nurture, taught or behavioral based.

In the same twin study, the researchers determined that the twins that didn’t develop an addiction had better coping skills. They could deal with stress or uncomfortable situations better than the addicted twin.

Why? We assume the healthy twin learned that from their environment, but that’s not always true.

Hence we get back to the question, why are some children who are raised by addicts never addicts at all? They have both nature and nurture pushing them towards addiction, yet they’re able to resist.

It’s the nature/nurture addiction paradox.

What to Do if You’re the Child of an Addict

If you’re the child of an addict, you need to know that the way you process or look at drugs/alcohol will never be the same as someone without addiction in their family.

While that non-addiction prone person may binge drink in social situations and be fine later, that’s not necessarily the case for you. It’s unfair and you did nothing to deserve it, but you have to carefully consider the consequences of your actions.

The safest bet would be to avoid substances altogether. You already know that your body could use your biology against you if you partake.

But 100% abstinence isn’t reasonable, in most situations. Which would lead us to encourage you to strengthen your other 50% – your nurture.

If your parents are active addicts, you’re not going to learn these coping skills from them. You may have to seek out therapy on your own and make teaching yourself a goal.

Setting limits with yourself and with your therapist can help you avoid the addiction brain cycle. But still – there’s a chance that you could have those coping skills and become an addict.

It’s really a toss-up – and we wish we could tell you why.

If You’re an Addict and a Parent

Being a parent is a job and addiction is a disease. Doing a good job at your job with a disease is hard. We absolutely get that and we commend you for reading this article – because it means you’re trying.

If you’re worried about passing your addiction onto your child, you may need to work on yourself before you work on teaching them.

You, too, may need to go to therapy/drug rehab and work on those coping skills and self-control factors. It may mean that you take doctor-prescribed medications to get your dopamine back to a healthy level.

Only when you’re healthy can you show your children how to be healthy. You have to be honest with them about your struggles, as embarrassing as it may seem.

They need to know what they’re up against, and you need to build that nurture 50% up as strong as possible, to give them a chance of overcoming their biology.

It’s going to be hard work and a lifelong battle. Remember that kids will do what you do and learn from your every movement – even when you think they’re not watching.

But that’s a good thing. If they see you investing in yourself and taking time to face your problems, they’ll learn they can do the same.

If you want to learn more about how seeing = learning and doing, read about mirror neurons.

Is Addiction Hereditary?

To summarize, yes addiction can be hereditary, but not always. The chance of someone becoming an addict is stronger if they have both nature (DNA) and the nurture (environment) of addiction.

So . . . yes and no is the best answer we can give you, and the best science has to offer at this time. Deciding is addiction hereditary in your family is going to depend on specific features and personalities.

If you sense something is off or need to treat your addiction so you can avoid your child developing one, call our councilors here.

Did you know that 1 in every 10 Americans has a drug or alcohol addiction? What’s even more shocking is this:

Only 11% of addicts and alcoholics ever receive treatment.

There are varying explanations as to why so many struggle to recover from addiction.

Many lack access to affordable healthcare. Some aren’t educated on the methods of treatment available. The medical community’s approach to treatment is always advancing – but it is not perfect.

In the end, an alcoholic or drug addict needs to make the conscious decision to recover. Often the road to recovery begins by opening the lines of communication. The loved ones of an addict can certainly help open these lines – but what is the best way to do so?

Here’s how to help a drug addict or alcoholic recover through communication!

Communicating in Active Addiction

Do you know someone who is currently suffering from active addiction to drugs or alcohol?

You want your loved one to get better and to receive help. But the powerful grip of addiction can make it difficult for the addict to see that they need help.

Understanding the signs of addiction is an important first step in communication. Keeping the signs and symptoms in mind, ask yourself:

• How severe is their addiction?
• How is their addiction affecting other areas of their life?
• What other evidence of addiction have you gathered?

It may be the case that your loved one has openly used or abused drugs and alcohol in front of you. Regardless, knowing the extent of their addiction will help you take the next best step.

But before considering treatment options, be open and honest with your loved one.

Start with a Conversation

Sitting down one-on-one with an active addict is a good way to open the lines of communication. It will make both of you feel more comfortable and less tense.

Try to have the conversation in a relaxed and private environment. Invite them over for coffee or to meet in a park.

The fewer distractions around, the better. Try to have the conversation when they’re not under the influence.

You don’t want to judge or accuse them of having an addiction. Instead, express to them that you’re concerned. Ask them if they’re willing to hear your thoughts and talk about your concerns.

If they’re willing to listen, tell them about what you’ve noticed in a calm and warm manner. Don’t blame them or raise your voice. Open up with something like, “I’ve noticed you don’t seem quite like yourself lately.”

It’s not uncommon for active addicts to get on the defensive. It’s important to remain calm and to remind them that you’re coming from a place of concern. You can let them know how certain actions or behaviors have made you feel.

Stage an Intervention

If your loved one is open to conversation, ask them if they’re willing to discuss treatment. But what if they’re not receptive at all to the conversation?

In this case, it’s best to let the conversation go. Your next step should be reaching out to other friends and family.

Staging an intervention may be a more intense way of communicating. But it may be the only effective means of getting an alcoholic or drug addict the help they need.

An intervention begins as a plan coordinated by the friends and family of an addict. Many interventions are often supervised by doctors, therapists, or licensed intervention counselors.

Those involved go around and discuss how the addiction has affected both them and the addict. The goal is to lay out a treatment plan and have the addict accept the help. Many interventions will lay out consequences if the addict refuses help.

During an intervention, it’s important to stay calm and collected. While you should be open about your feelings, you don’t want to confront your loved one in an aggressive way. It’s helpful to have a mediator there when emotions start to run high.

Communicating with an Alcoholic or Drug Addict in Early Recovery

Once an addict accepts help and begins recovery, you may start to wonder, “How can I help?”

Offering your support is crucial during early recovery. The chances of relapsing are high, especially in the first 90 days. Your loved one needs constant reassurance at this time.

Detox & Inpatient/Outpatient Rehab

When your loved one goes off to detox or inpatient rehab, it’s important to stay in touch.

Before they go off to detox or rehab, write them a card or give them a motivating memento. Here are some examples of gifts you can give them that will communicate your support:

• A necklace or bracelet
• A journal or book
• Photos of family, friends, pets, etc.
• Stuffed animal or new blanket

In the beginning, they may feel like they’re being “dumped off” or abandoned. These feelings coupled with withdrawal can make for a whirlwind of emotions.

Calling them on a regular basis will remind them that they’re loved and supported. Visit them in rehab as often as possible.

If they’ll undergo an outpatient program, communicate your support by offering them rides. You can also invite them out to breakfast or a late lunch before or after the day program.

If they’re not feeling well, keep the conversation light and easy. If they’re agitated or express anger or frustration, remain patient and levelheaded. In time, their mood will improve and communication will begin to open up more on their end.

Transitioning into Recovery

Transitioning back after rehab can be tough. Your loved one will need to make big decisions as to where they’ll be living. Even though they’ve had some time to sober up, they may need guidance on taking the next best step.

Invite them to coffee or lunch to discuss their living situation. You want to make them feel encouraged – not interrogated. Ask them where they plan to live and what they plan to do after rehab.

Some recovering addicts may believe they can resume their old life and still stay sober. They may suggest moving in with friends or family who are still in active addiction.

You can gently remind them that this may not be the best option. Instead, suggest better alternatives.

Exploring Living Options

If they’ll be moving in with you, it’s important to lay down some rules and expectations. It’s okay to be stern with them, but you can do so in a way that doesn’t intimidate or antagonize them. You should do this without blaming or nagging them.

You can also explain to them why moving in with you isn’t an option. Again, you should do this without putting blame on them. Let them know that you acknowledge their efforts to stay sober and offer your help in other ways.

Moving into a sober living facility or a “halfway house” may be an option. Don’t exclaim, “You need to move into a sober house.” Instead, ask them to share their thoughts on the option.

Support in the First Year of Recovery

Once your loved one has transitioned out of rehab, the road to recovery is still far from over.

Emotions in early recovery can be immensely difficult to endure. Your loved one may be feeling anger, remorse, or depression. They may start to feel the urge to use drugs or alcohol to cope.

It’s normal to feel frustrated or angry yourself. But you should refrain from saying things like, “You’re a drug addict!” or “What is wrong with you!?”

You should never threaten or present them with ultimatums. Don’t remind them of how they’ve hurt you or what they’ve done in the past. They need patience and positive communication moving forward.

You can even communicate your support without words. If you notice them struggling, ask them if they’d like to attend a 12-step meeting. Or, you can offer them a ride to therapy or get out of the house for a couple hours.

Your loved one may feel left out because they’re in recovery and can’t enjoy old places or activities. Offer to do sober activities with them like rock climbing, going to the movies, or to a yoga class.

Communicating in Long-Term Recovery

Addiction never goes away. But keeping the lines of communication can help ward off relapses for years to come.

Understanding the signs of relapse can help you and your loved one stay vigilant.

If you notice them slipping into old behaviors, you can gently remind them of their recovery. They may benefit from trying new sober activities, which you can enjoy with them. Or, they may need to return to a 12-step program or start seeing a therapist.

Don’t scare them or threaten them into staying sober if you notice them slipping. Again, you shouldn’t bring up things in the past that can make bad memories resurface. If you both feel the need to talk about the past, you can do so in a calm and positive manner.

As the loved one of a recovering alcoholic or drug addict, it’s important that you receive support, as well. Support groups and 12-step programs for the relatives of addicts can be helpful. You may find therapy helpful, as well.

Supporting Your Loved One Through Addiction

Open communication is one of the stepping stones to recovery. If you know an alcoholic or drug addict, showing your love and support is crucial to helping them recover.

If your loved one is ready to take the first step into recovery, he or she doesn’t have to go at it alone. Contact us to learn more about how we can offer addiction help.