Loving an Addict: How To Help An Addicted Loved One Addiction Treatment

They can be a better version of themselves if you remember it is more important to think of the things you have in common rather than the things you don’t. How often have loving an addict you tried looking for love in the wrong places? Addiction presents similar challenges and puts it in perspective for family members. Your loved one wants to be loved and to feel fully alive, but the only way they can think to do that is with drugs and alcohol. You may have to teach them where to look for meaningful change. There is a lot of talk in Twelve Step meetings about how you need to take it just one day at a time.

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It can impact everyone in that person’s inner circle, including friends, family, and coworkers. At ALYST Health, we understand the deeply personal nature of addiction and the challenges that not only those dealing with it face but also the hardships their loved ones often experience. Witnessing a family memberor close friend struggle with addiction can be one of the most difficult experiences someone has to go through. If you love an addict, it’s common to feel a range of complex and sometimes conflicting emotions about how to best offer support. For both the addicted person and their partner, addressing mental health needs is essential for fostering a caring and supportive environment within their relationship. Coming face-to-face with reality means marijuana addiction accepting that parts of your life may be out of control as a result of loving someone who is engaging in addictive behaviors.

• Unwell people are not always the most qualified to help other unwell people.
• I can only pray something clicks before he destroys himself.
• Once dependence on a substance sets in, the addict’s personality and behaviors inevitably change.
• The phenomenon occurs because the spouse/martyr is more concerned with what will happen to themselves if their husband, wife, or significant other gets better.
• Recognizing the signs, setting boundaries, and prioritizing one’s well-being are essential steps in deciding whether to stay or leave.

Tips for Coping with an Alcoholic or Addict

I’m Amber Hollingsworth, a master addiction counselor with over 20 years of experience. On my YouTube channel, I aim to help families navigate the impact of addiction. We will unpack the emotional toll of loving someone with addiction, the mental rollercoaster you’re on, and—most importantly—how to start reclaiming your sanity. Communication is key to any relationship, including a relationship with an addict. If you’re not open to communicating, if you don’t feel like talking, it’s important that you tell the addict how you feel and why. There may be times when you feel like there’s just no hope left.

The humanity we all share is more important than the mental illnesses we may not. -Elyn R. Saks

The helplessness that you feel when loving an addict can leave you feeling paralyzed. You may find yourself investing more and more energy but not seeing any tangible results. Life becomes a tumultuous journey filled with uncertainty when you love an addict.

Don’t wait until the situation is really bad ~ reach out for help NOW!!

You do not have control over anything the addicted person does. Many people choose not to believe this, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Once you can really grasp the reality of this concept and live by it, your life will become much easier. Your support system is there for both you and the addict in your life. Even if you are the primary point of contact with the addict in your life, your support system will provide you with a point of stability you can rely on. A strong support network can also help demonstrate to the addict that there are people around them that care about them and want to see their life change for the better.

The Role of Mental Health in Addictive Relationships

Believing that addressing the symptoms is a viable solution can be an unrealistic expectation for family, partners, and substance or alcohol users. Professional help is recommended through support groups, therapy, counseling, and intervention. Most of the resentments you currently have are likely due to the expectations you set that your loved one or yourself did not meet. I didn’t realise that I could take back control or that I have a choice about whether or not I want to participate in my loved one’s addiction. By the time I committed to the counselling program, I was truly ready to break the patterns and cycles I had been participating in and make life better for myself.

Addiction is a family disease because one person uses, but the whole family gets sick. -Toni Sorenson

Below is a collection of heartfelt quotes that may be relevant for people who have been in love or are in a relationship with someone with addiction issues. Whether your choice is to hold on, to let go, or to detach with love… there might be a perfect quote in here that could speak to you. Choosing to step away does not mean you don’t love the person. Therapy can help individuals navigate this decision and provide coping strategies for the grief that often accompanies it. Enabling happens when someone protects the addict from the consequences of their actions, whether through financial support, covering up mistakes, or constantly rescuing them from crisis.

Difficult relationships come into our lives for a reason. But if we let them, they can teach us how to be flexible with others and more forgiving. Support groups like Al-Anon or Nar-Anon provide a space to connect with others who have faced similar struggles, offering perspective and encouragement.