Tips For Living With A Newly-Sober Family Member After Inpatient Drug Addiction Treatment
If your household is getting ready to welcome a newly-sober family member back from their stay at an inpatient drug treatment center, then these tips will help everyone in your family feel more secure and at ease during this trying time.
Tip: Don't Be Afraid to Say the Wrong Thing
While you may be scared to say the wrong thing to your recovering family member, the truth is that there really isn't anything you can say that will cause them to relapse and go back to abusing drugs. In order for someone to relapse, they need to make a conscious choice to do so, and recovery will have taught them strategies to deal with insensitive and awkward questions post-treatment.
Tip: Ask Questions Rather than Making Incorrect Assumptions
When your family member comes home, you need to make an effort to ask them questions rather than making your own incorrect assumptions about how they are feeling, thinking, or wanting their lives to change. Rather than assuming what your loved one thinks, sit down and ask them questions. While you don't want to interrogate them, you need to acknowledge their bravery in getting treatment and let them know you completely support it and need guidance as to how to help. Just the fact that you took the time to ask will make your family member feel a lot happier about being back home.
Tip: Support the Medical Professional's Recovery Plan
In the week before your family member is released from the drug treatment center, they will be sitting down with their therapists and making a recovery plan. This plan must be followed post-release. While you may have your thoughts about what your loved one should be doing or how their recovery should look, you need to back off and respect the recovery plan made by the professionals. By stepping back, you will avoid conflicts and help reduce stress and frustration when your family members first come back home.
Tip: Stay in the Current Time and Avoid Dredging Up the Past
Finally, it is important to note that you should try and always stay in the current time or speak about the future with someone who is newly sober. This is not the time for your family to have meetings to talk about past events. Just after drug treatment is the time, you and your family need to surround your loved one with as much love, hope for the future, and positivity as possible.
Contact a company like Comfort Recovery LLC for more information and assistance.
