Going into rehab is a difficult, emotional, and stressful experience. Not only for the person receiving treatment but also for their loved ones, friends, and family. Despite this, they need to find a place of strength within themselves to be able to be supportive of whoever’s going through treatment. Having the full support of everyone you care about is going to aid recovery in a way like no other, love is one of the strongest healers.

Here we discuss how to be supportive of your loved one during the rehabilitation process.

Understand & Educate Yourself

First and foremost it’s important to get to grips with the disease your loved one is struggling with. Addiction is something within us that can be applied to many different things and can come out in many different ways. Learning about addiction and what can be done to help is going to be one of the most supportive things you can do, even if it doesn’t seem like it. With understanding comes a certain power to do the right thing in the right situation. You will be able to tailor your support if you know what’s going on. Getting to grips with what the rehabilitation center is going to be doing will also help by allowing you in on the recovery process. When it comes to these programs they are designed in a specific way to help the individual make a full recovery. Seeing what happens on a daily basis will help you design a plan with them in mind for when they come out. Keeping up certain routines will help recovering addicts with their habits.

Call Them & Be Encouraging

Just because someone is in a center doesn’t mean they don’t want to talk to you. It’s one of the easiest things you can do to show that you care. Hearing a friendly voice will often make someone’s day and give them a little boost. During the initial phases of treatment, there will be many rehab centers that will prohibit the use of phones but this is done so the individual has time to reflect upon themselves during some of the most difficult days of recovery. Respect the process of the treatment and find out when you are able to make phone calls. Once you get the green light then schedule some calls and make them as encouraging as possible.

Letters, Cards & Care Packages

We have a postal system for a reason, so let’s use it. Have you ever received a letter or something similar in the post? Can you remember the feeling of thinking someone took the time to write this out and it’s just for me? Now imagine what it would feel like to your loved one receiving something in a time of trouble. Send letters, cards, and even put together some care packages for them. Be sensitive to what you put in there, as they are recovering from addiction. Facilities will often have guidelines of what you can send, so follow those to avoid anything negative.

It’s Going To Be Up And Down

One of the hardest things to understand is that it’s not going to be plain sailing. Just because your loved one is in a rehabilitation center doesn’t mean they’re going to find it easy or come out completely changed. It’s going to be a long road to recovery that will come with its incredible highs and deep lows. This is all normal, things will eventually start to settle out when they’re home. Remember, it can continue, so stay supportive and keep up the encouragement even after the treatment has finished.

Talk To The Center

Being on the same page with your loved one when they are discharged is going to be hugely important to the progression of themselves. Talk to the staff of the facility they were in and discover everything that needs to be done in order to assist in a full recovery. Is there anything you should be doing at home? Is a routine the best thing? Ask any questions that you think might help with the next stages of life.

The rehabilitation process isn’t an easy one but it’s a necessary one. Whilst it’s difficult to stay positive from the sidelines it’s imperative you do so. If your loved one sees you and you’re struggling with the stress of the situation then they’re going to stress out with you and feel bad about what they’re putting you through. There are plenty of support groups for the loved ones of addicts, utilize them in order to help the bigger picture.