Families are a major part of a loved one’s recovery journey, and that’s why it’s important to know how to create a recovery-friendly environment for them. Recovery is tough on the person recovering and their family, making it even more important to understand your role. A “recovery-friendly” home can mean a lot of things depending on what your loved one is recovering from, but one thing to remember is that it doesn’t just mean a substance-free home. Instead, it must be emotionally supportive and full of love for them to come back to and feel comfortable in. We’re going to give you a little breakdown on how you can make a recovery-friendly home for your loved one so they feel supported and loved by everyone around them.
Understanding the Recovery Process
The first thing to know is what the recovery process will look like and what stages of recovery your loved one has gone through, is going through, and will go through. Your loved one will go through a lot of changes, such as physical changes, emotional changes, and even behavioral changes. Recovery is an ongoing process; it’s not done just because they stopped drinking alcohol or taking substances, but instead it’s about building a brand new way of living. You should start by educating yourselves heavily in the recovery process and addiction to understand what your loved one is going through and be able to offer them empathy and understanding during this time, which is important to create a recovery-friendly home.
Establish a Substance-Free Environment
Of course, you want to have a substance-free environment. This is an important part of making the home safe to live in and, ultimately, a happy place for your loved one, instead of a place of temptation. You should remove alcohol, prescription drugs, and any other triggers from the home to avoid having your loved one triggered by them. It’s important to be mindful of any social events, celebrations, or media that might showcase substance abuse in an enlightening or glorifying way. Setting boundaries and expectations can help your family understand what’s okay and what’s not okay inside the home.
Foster Healthy Communication
Having someone to talk to and listen to as someone who is recovering is super important. You and your family should practice having open, non-judgmental conversations. Practice active listening without interrogation or criticism, and be sure to validate their feelings and struggles without enabling their negative behavior. Continue to show and tell them that you are available, supportive, and listening. It’s important to regularly check in with them and have honest conversations where they feel heard and supported. Saying reassuring phrases like “I love you,” “You’re not alone,” “Everyone needs help sometimes,” or “How can I help?” are great phrases to use when speaking to someone in recovery.
Create Healthy Routines
Help your loved one build healthy routines and structure that can promote stability and give them something to lean on when they feel like they are not in control. You should encourage regular sleep, meals, exercise, and relaxation that will help to support their mental health and keep them feeling healthy. You can also do activities together that are healthy, like cooking, hiking, playing sports, or volunteering. It is important to be present in these routines to show that they are not alone and you truly are there with them.
Respect Them, While Offering Support
There is a fine line between trying to support and help your loved one and micromanaging their every move. You should encourage accountability, but don’t manage their every move and make them feel suffocated. We know that it might be hard to trust or understand, but it’s important to focus on progress and not perfection. Start looking into and understanding the differences between supporting and controlling your loved one.
Celebrate Progress and Stay Hopeful
Celebrate all of the small wins, like sober anniversaries to keep the motivation strong and assure your loved one that you are proud of them for their progress. Encourage long-term goals and activities that help to align with a sober lifestyle that you can join in with them and make them feel included.
Recognize Relapse Triggers and Signs
As someone who is close to a loved one in recovery, it’s important to understand relapse triggers and potential signs. Firstly, you should help them to identify their personal triggers as this may vary by person. Typically, they can include everything from stress to people to places and even routines. Work together with them to figure out how to respond in the case that a relapse happens, so that you all can be prepared and fully help the loved one in recovery. Relapse shouldn’t be punished, but it can be used as a moment of reflection.
Here are some signs that could potentially be linked to relapse behavior:
- Isolating from friends or family
- Being extra irritable, anxious, or having mood swings
- Skipping therapy sessions or support meetings
- Difficulty sleeping or eating
- Glamorizing past use
- Bargaining or creating “loopholes” for substance abuse
- Minimizing the consequences of their abuse
- Reconnecting with old friends or going to high-risk places
- Avoiding accountability
- Secretive behavior or changes in attitude
- Unexplained expenses or sudden financial issues
- You notice actual use or intoxication
Although these are not all signs of a relapse, it’s important to recognize these signs and come up with a plan that works for your family to get your loved one the help they need in case these are signs of a relapse. Remember, relapsing shouldn’t be punished, but instead use it as a moment of reflection for them.
Being the Support for a Recovering Loved One
As the family of a loved one in recovery, it’s important to ensure that you know how to support them in the best ways and avoid making their recovery harder than it needs to be. Remember, it’s hard on you, but it’s even harder on them. They need support, love, and reassurance regularly to show them that they’re not alone and that they aren’t being judged. Take these tips if you have someone in your life who is recovering and you want to be the best asset to their recovery that you can be. If you know someone who is dealing with substance abuse or a relapse, reach out to Symetria Recovery, and we can help get them on the right track.