When someone you love is in our residential treatment center, you want to be able to support them as much as possible. Most people, however, aren’t sure how to do exactly that. You want to be able to help, but you want to do the right thing, too. There’s really no frame of what reference for what it’s like to have someone you love in a recovery facility, especially if it’s their first time. There are some things you can do to make it better for them as well as better for yourself, too.
Carry on and Keep Calm
It’s natural and normal to be worried, anxious or even scared when someone you love is in a recovery facility, even one as beautiful as ours. The one thing to keep in mind, however: your loved one is safe. They are secure, sober, and taking the next steps towards living the sober, joyful life that you and your loved one want them to live. They are in the exact right place for them to be at this moment in time. Surrounded by trained, compassionate professionals, ensconced in a supportive community, your loved one is in a place where they can be helped, where they can grow.
Communicating Support
Your loved one may not be able to contact you immediately upon arriving at detox. Each case is different, but your loved one will be able to contact you soon. When that happens, we always recommend that you keep from judging your loved one or anything like that. Your loved one, especially as their ability to think and see clearly and soberly develops, may come to be embarrassed, ashamed or even humiliated by their past behavior. The best thing you can do for them at this moment in time is to show support. One seemingly antiquated idea that never really goes out of style: sending encouraging letters. Sure, we all have phones in the modern era, but for a loved one in rehab, holding a physical, supportive letter from someone who cares about them can be powerful.
Residential Treatment Center Family Therapy
At our facility, some of our residents are best suited for family therapy. This allows everyone in the addict’s life to take a part in their healing journey. If you’ve been at home, wondering exactly how you could help, this is the perfect, healthy way for you to do so. Not only will this therapy help your loved one while they’re at our facility, but it will also help both of you once they’re out. For example, a major part of our family therapy is to assist families in identifying enabling and codependent behaviors that make recovery more difficult, and then learning how to move past them. By making sure that everyone involved can communicate honestly as well as respectfully, we can begin to replace the unhealthy relationship patterns with new, healthy, sober and happier ones. To learn more about how this works, call us at (888) 616-9075.
