Supporting Loved Ones Through Recovery

If you know a friend, family member, or loved one who is struggling with any form of addiction, it is normal to want to help them find peace and start their journey to recovery. We know that support from loved ones is crucial to our patients and want to provide information and guidance to those who love someone in a journey toward recovery. At Central Kentucky Addiction Center, we have a compassionate team and are led by addiction specialist Dr. Leslie who is committed to helping patients beat their addictions with help from their wider support network.

It is important to recognize common signs of addiction, substance abuse, withdrawal, and relapse. While this list is not comprehensive, awareness of these signs can help you be in tune with your loved one and offer them support when needed.

Common signs and symptoms of substance abuse include:

• Physical warning signs such as bloodshot or watery eyes, or weight loss or weight gain
• Changes in appetite or sleep patterns
• Deteriorating personal hygiene
• Tremors, slurred speech, or impaired condition
• Changes in attendance or performance at work or school
• Engaging in secretive or suspicious behaviors
• Sudden change in friends, favorite hangouts, and hobbies
• Unexplained change in personality or attitude
  

If your loved one displays some of the following factors, it also may be an indication that a commonly used substance, such as alcohol, has become a problematic substance and may be trigger a use disorder.

• They use the substance more than intended.
• They experience cravings.
• Use of the substance causes interpersonal conflict.
• They continue to use the substance despite its negative consequences.
• They seek out the substance and/or use it during dangerous situations.
  

If you love someone who struggles with addiction, it is reasonable to believe that your relationship is affected by their substance abuse or other form of addiction. One common outcome of relationships with people struggling with addiction is codependency, which can be defined as a pattern of interactions that result in enabling the addict.

Codependency is not malicious in nature but often involved attempting to save, rescue, or protect an addict from their addiction, which only gives them a safe place to land the next time they face a negative consequence of their addiction. In codependent relationships, the sober individual may neglect their own care for themselves, spending too much mental and physical energy helping their loved one.

Loving someone with an addiction can be complicated, but there are steps you can take to support your loved one and also take care of yourself.

1. Understand that addiction is a disease that requires treatment. You cannot “fix” someone with a disease.
2. Work on identifying the difference between helpful behavior and enabling behavior on your part.
3. Take care of yourself in the process and rebuild any areas of your life that may have faltered.
4. Consider visiting a program for family members or loved ones of those experiencing addiction or substance abuse, like Al-Anon.
5. Do not wait for something to happen - reach out to our team at Central Kentucky Addiction Treatment soon if you have a loved one struggling with addiction.
   

If you see signs of addition in someone you love, encourage them to get help today by contacting Central Kentucky Addiction Treatment. With your support and under the treatment of Addiction Medicine specialist Dr. Leslie, your loved ones can treat their addictions and live happier, healthier lives. Central Kentucky Addiction Treatment offers support for various forms of addiction such as alcohol substance abuse, opioid addiction, and more.

Contact us today to talk to a member of our staff about any addiction struggles you are facing. Central Kentucky Addiction Treatment proudly serves Danville, Kentucky and the surrounding areas of Southern and Central Kentucky.