{"id":10167,"date":"2020-04-24T15:26:20","date_gmt":"2020-04-24T19:26:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fireflyin.org\/?p=10167"},"modified":"2025-02-25T12:06:52","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T17:06:52","slug":"3-things-to-do-when-supporting-someone-in-recovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fireflyin.org\/cnh\/resources\/news-library\/3-things-to-do-when-supporting-someone-in-recovery\/","title":{"rendered":"3 THINGS TO DO WHEN SUPPORTING SOMEONE IN RECOVERY"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Katherine Butler, Substance Use Supervisor<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As much as we sometimes might want to, we can’t help who we love. So what do you do when someone you care or love struggles with addiction? How can you help them be successful in their recovery and how do you take care of yourself at the same time?<\/p>\n

It is important to understand that addiction is a brain disease that does not discriminate. It can impact\u00a0anyone<\/strong>, and learning how to support someone in their recovery is probably not a journey that anyone ever expects to take.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Here are 3 things to do when supporting someone in their recovery:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. One of the most important things you can do to support someone in recovery is to just\u00a0be there for them<\/strong>and be present. This takes patience.Recovery<\/a>\u00a0is a lifelong process, and it is not an easy one. It does not happen overnight and there might be several setbacks and relapses. The simple act of sitting with someone in the process of recovery and actively listening to them can help in ways that we may not understand.<\/li>\n
  2. Support your friend or loved one in the process of recovery by\u00a0accepting who they are and accepting their disease without judgement or negativity<\/strong>. We all have things in our past that we wish we could change, but our past is what makes us who we are now. Often, people in recovery are met with judgement from those who do not understand that recovery is not as simple as just not using a substance. So be understanding and be open to learning more about addiction and recovery.<\/li>\n
  3. Taking care of yourself\u00a0<\/strong>is paramount in supporting someone in recovery. We cannot take care of others if we don\u2019t take care of ourselves. Find ways to manage your stress in a healthy way and outlets to release frustration. Check out the Families First blog,Stress Relief Tips to Avoid Caregiver Burnout<\/a>\u00a0or find\u00a0others who are in similar situations and talk to them about your similar experiences and emotions.\u00a0Al-Anon<\/a>,\u00a0Nar-Anon<\/a>,\u00a0Adult Children of Alcoholics<\/a>, and\u00a0Smart Recovery Family and Friends<\/a>\u00a0are just a few helpful resources.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Author Deb Caletti said, \u201cThat\u2019s what people do who love you. They put their arms around you and love you when you\u2019re not so lovable.\u201d Simply put, that is what loving and supporting someone in recovery is all about.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    And if your loved one needs treatment, Families First provides a full continuum of\u00a0substance use treatment and support services<\/a>.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    As much as we sometimes might want to, we can’t help who we love. So what do you do when someone you care or love struggles with addiction? How can you help them be successful in their recovery and how do you take care of yourself at the same time?
    \nIt is important to understand that addiction is a brain disease that does not discriminate. It can impact anyone, and learning how to support someone in their recovery is probably not a journey that anyone ever expects to take.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-substance-use-recovery"],"yoast_head":"\n3 THINGS TO DO WHEN SUPPORTING SOMEONE IN RECOVERY - Firefly Children and Family Alliance<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fireflyin.org\/cnh\/resources\/news-library\/3-things-to-do-when-supporting-someone-in-recovery\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"3 THINGS TO DO WHEN SUPPORTING SOMEONE IN RECOVERY - Firefly Children and Family Alliance\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As much as we sometimes might want to, we can't help who we love. 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