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5 Things You Shouldn’t Do When Your Loved One Is Struggling With Relapses

When you see your loved recovering from addiction, you feel a sigh of relief. You think that all the bad times have gone. But, if they and up experiencing relapse symptoms, it might be quite devastating for you. You might get frustrated, angry and start experiencing negative emotions.

Though it is a tough situation to handle, you shouldn’t do a few things if your loved one picks up drugs or alcohol again-

Don’t Blame Yourself

It is quite common for alcoholics or addicts to put the blame of their habit on others. They may try to make you believe that the reason why they picked up alcohol or drugs is due to your fault. Or, if you hadn’t said or done certain things, the relapse won’t have occurred.

Don’t believe them. Alcoholics feel the urge to drink due to their own habits. Drug addicts feel like taking drugs because they want to get high and have been addicted to drugs. You can’t make your loved one pick up drugs, or you can’t make them give up alcohol.

So, don’t blame yourself! If you spot that they have started blaming others for their addiction, it’s time to look for drug rehabs near me and encourage them to go for counseling.

Don’t Get Aggressive

If your loved one experiences a relapse, it’s natural for you to get angry. You get angry because someone you love is continuously giving in drugs or alcohol. They may revert to behaviors like stealing money or staying out all night. However, getting aggressive doesn’t do any good to you or your loved one. It only worsens the situation.

Instead, remain calm and supportive and encourage your loved one to go to alcohol rehab MA. Give them an opportunity to talk to you openly and let them express their feelings.

They may deny accepting your support. In this case, focus on yourself. Educate yourself more about the addiction and look for professional alcohol rehab, like Louisville alcohol medical detox.

Don’t Give Up On Your Loved Ones

While the symptoms of relapse make the addicts feel like it is the end of the world, but it isn’t. Even though it seems hopeless today, stick to the belief that the situation will get better. Just like your loved ones, many people struggle with addiction and recover from it too.

Understand that a relapse doesn’t mean that your loved one has failed. It only means that they need to go for treatment at a professional facility, like Louisville alcohol medical detox.

You don’t have any control over whether the addict relapses or stays sober longer. The only thing under your control is how you react to their relapse or behavior.

You can seek help from alcohol rehab Kentucky where the professionals offer counseling to the addict’s family on what to do or what not to do. Commit to learning how to accept the situation and handle everything calmly.

Don’t Force Them To Get Help

If they couldn’t get sober on their own, clearly, they need to get help. But, getting help isn’t easy for many reasons. If you say them things like, ‘Why don’t you seek help,’ they may feel like they are being stigmatized.

They may feel secluded, guilty, and fear the recovery process. Though you know that your loved one would get sober sooner or later, they may feel conflicted about the idea of quitting.

As for now, they just know that substance use is the only way to cope with stress and emotional pain. They can’t imagine life without drugs or alcohol. They may take time to realize that life would be better without drugs.

Thus, instead of forcing them to go to drug rehab, you can simply ask, ‘How can I help you?’ Or, you can look for the best drug rehabs near me Kentucky, and ask them to choose the one they like. Discuss the positives of living a drug-free life. You can also offer to accompany them on the first few meetings at the rehab.

Don’t Say Something That Would Make The Feel Ashamed

There is a lot of misinformation surrounding addiction. If you act based on such beliefs, even the best of your intentions to help your loved one might go in vain. Your goal is to help them recover and not make them feel shameful about their habit.

Below are a few things you shouldn’t say to an addict-