Addiction is a chronic and progressive disease that affects millions of Americans each year. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 48.7 million people struggled with a substance use disorder in 2022.[1]
While addiction treatment can help someone achieve long-term recovery, sometimes people slip up. If your loved one has recently relapsed, you might be wondering how you can help. First, you should always remember that relapses occur frequently and sometimes they are just a part of the recovery process.
Most people relapse at some point and it is often an opportunity to learn what not to do in the future. However, that does not mean that you should treat a relapse lightly. There are a variety of ways to help a loved one who is struggling to maintain their sobriety.
When a loved one relapses, you should first seek support for yourself. Once you are ready to help them, you can have a conversation with them about their substance abuse, help them avoid their triggers, go with them to recovery support meetings, and offer them access to treatment.
In this article, you will learn:
- What to do when a family member or loved one relapses
- Why it is important to find support for yourself
- How to be a strong support system when a loved one relapses
What to Do When Someone Relapses
While most people believe that recovery ends once a drug rehab program is completed, this is far from the truth. The risk of relapsing is high during the transitional period from treatment to independent living. Your loved one will be facing new triggers in their daily life that can be difficult to overcome.
If your loved one does not have a strong relapse prevention plan or utilize their coping skills, they could easily experience a relapse. Knowing how to support them during a relapse will reduce the risk of dangerous and high-intensity substance abuse.
When someone relapses, you should:
Get Support for Yourself
Addiction relapse can be hard on a person’s loved ones as well. You might find yourself constantly worrying and stressing about their safety. As a result, you must find support for yourself during this time.
The best ways to cope with a loved one’s relapse include:
- Going to therapy
- Attending family support groups for addiction like Al-Anon
- Journaling your feelings
- Talking with a trusted family member or friend
- Exercising and meditating to relieve stress
- Focusing on activities that help you relax and feel content
Engaging in these activities will help you take a step back, refresh, and be ready to support your loved one. You cannot support someone during a hard time if you do not help yourself first.
Voice Your Concern
Once your emotions from your loved one’s relapse are less intense, you can begin planning to have a conversation with them. While you should voice your concerns to them, you need to do so in a way that doesn’t feel like an attack or judgment. The best way to accomplish this is to always use “I” statements instead of “you.”
When discussing your loved one’s relapse, avoid saying:
- Why can’t you just stop?
- Why are you doing this to our family?
- How could you throw your recovery away?
- What is wrong with you?
Instead of accusatory statements, you should try the following:
- I feel sad and frustrated with your substance abuse. How can I help you recover?
- I know that sometimes relapse is a part of recovery. What is the best way to support you during this time?
- Let’s get you some help and work together on strengthening your coping skills and relapse prevention plan.
Help Them Avoid Triggers
When your loved one relapses, it’s most likely because they experienced a trigger that they could not cope with. Knowing your loved ones’ triggers can be a useful tool in helping them get back on track.
Common triggers include:
- People who remind them of substance abuse
- Being near places where they abused drugs or alcohol
- Experiencing stressful events like family arguments
- Certain activities that they used to drink or use drugs during, like dinners or holiday parties
Ask your loved one what caused them to relapse and let them know that you are there to help them overcome triggers in the future.
Go to Meetings or Therapy With Them
Addiction support groups like 12-step meetings or SMART Recovery can help someone overcome a relapse. These meetings often include support from other recovering addicts, advice on how to overcome hard times, and a community to rely on. If you offer to go with your loved one, they will feel the support and be more likely to attend.
Additionally, therapy can help manage a relapse. Even if your loved one is not ready to give up drugs or alcohol, a therapist can help them create a harm reduction plan. This will keep them safe while they work on getting back on track and achieving long-term sobriety.
Offer Them Treatment
Lastly, if your loved one is not able to overcome their relapse on their own, it might be time for additional treatment. You can offer your loved one help with obtaining a spot in an inpatient or outpatient program. By providing your support, you make it easier for them to accept the help they need.
Find Help for Drug and Alcohol Abuse
If your loved one has recently experienced a relapse, they might need more time in a drug rehab program. Sometimes, it takes multiple treatment programs for a person to gain all of the experience and coping skills they need to maintain recovery. Drug and alcohol rehab centers like the Mandala Healing Center have years of experience in helping people overcome relapses.
At our treatment center, we offer evidence-based treatment with a compassionate approach. In other words, our addiction specialists will help your loved one feel comfortable opening up about the root causes of their substance abuse. This makes it easier for them to overcome the underlying issues that caused their addiction in the first place.
Contact the Mandala Healing Center today to learn more about our drug and alcohol rehab center. We can help your loved one gain the tools and support they need to achieve long-term sobriety.
References:
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): HHS, SAMHSA Release 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health Data