While we’re doing the hard work of recovery, sometimes our families don’t know how to best support us. They can feel confused, overwhelmed and worried, not knowing how to help, afraid they’ll say or do the wrong thing. Our families can be one of the most important sources of support that we can have in recovery. Whether or not we live with our families, our close relationships can make all the difference in how well we’re able to stay the course of our sobriety. How can our families support us during our recovery?
Love and Compassion
Many of our family members aren’t struggling with addiction, so they don’t have personal experience with recovery. One of the best things they can do for us is to simply be there for us, to listen, to be a shoulder to cry on, to comfort us when we’re struggling. They can help remind us of who we were before our addictions took hold of our lives. They can help us to remember happy memories in our lives, which can be especially comforting when everything feels dark and scary, when we’re feeling overcome with anxiety, dread and fear. Our families might not be able to understand fully what we’re experiencing, but their love and compassion can be a lifeline for us when we’re hurting.
Accountability and Motivation
One thing that can help us tremendously in our recovery work is having someone to whom we feel accountable, to check in with regularly about our progress, to help keep us on track with our goals. We might want to make a family member an accountability partner in our recovery. We can enlist them to be someone we routinely report to, about how many meetings we’ve been attending, how regularly we’re attending therapy, any slip-ups we’ve had, or any moments of weakness we may feel. Having someone who we feel accountable to can help us to stay motivated and committed to our goals. It can give us someone outside of ourselves that we feel responsible to, who we don’t want to let down, and this can keep us going when we feel like giving up. Our families might not be able to do our recovery work alongside us, the way other friends who are in recovery might, but they can be an objective source of support that helps us to stay disciplined and on track.
Are you ready to take the first step on your journey to recovery?
Call The Guest House today! 855-483-7800.
theguesthouseocala.com
3230 Northeast 55th Avenue Silver Springs, FL 34488