It’s easy for family members to experience a roller coaster of emotions when a loved one enters treatment. Family members may feel excited, hopeful, worried, or stressed. It is important to try to temper any expectations you may have about your loved one’s recovery journey but instead find a suitable way to express your support for the decision. Families play a vital role in treatment, and understanding what to expect can help your loved one have a successful journey.
Insights on the Recovery Journey
When a loved one begins their journey of recovery, it is normal to have expectations and to wonder whether the situation will get better or worse. Learning about recovery will give you better knowledge and understanding of the journey that your loved one is on.
As a family member, it’s essential to understand that things will change, but that change will not happen overnight. Your loved one has been through many challenges with substance abuse, and eliminating the substance will bring about many emotions as well as additional struggles.
It is also important to remember that substance abuse can cause changes in a person’s body and brain, and that healing will take time. A person in recovery needs respect and patience from family members. This is one way to support your loved one on their recovery journey.
Emotional Roller Coasters and Expectations
Those who are giving up drugs or alcohol may feel as if they are on an emotional roller coaster. People newly in recovery may feel a sense of loss, anger, frustration, and hopelessness. Those in the addiction treatment industry understand that the recovery journey will have ups and downs. It is not unusual for a person to experience mood swings in the initial stages of recovery.
If your loved one is in treatment or the early stages of recovery, you can play a vital role in their recovery by not expecting changes to happen overnight. Perhaps the most critical element you can provide to a loved one on a recovery journey is hope.
Family members can be a great support system for those struggling with substance abuse. Support from family can cause someone struggling with addiction to find the means and motivation to build a new sober lifestyle. Unfortunately, some of the expectations that families have can overwhelm their loved ones; families may not understand the challenges involved with treatment and recovery. It’s essential to understand the role families can play in treatment and recovery and what to expect during these stages. Reach out to The Guest House for more information at (855) 483-7800.