Helping a loved one find recovery from an alcohol or drug addiction Part 2

After you have safely gotten your loved one into detox and they have been calmed and sedated for several days your work is still plenty. Support is a main key here in helping them. As I have pointed out before do not be judgemental, you do not want to scare your loved one away from you. Whats important is taht they get the proper treatment while in detox, and that treatment includes a good calm rest so that they can gather their thoughts, they also need to make friends while in their so that they can get support from people just like them and they will need to get a proper education from the staff there as to what damage they are doing to their mind and body so hopefully they become a little frightened by the effects of addictive chemicals on their body. It would be really great to have you there always as a supportive as a supportive person they can depend on. Besides, they will really look forward to your regular visits as you drop off snacks, money for the vending machines and cigarettes if they smoke. You really should not be encouraging them to smoke cigarettes but now is not the time for you to preach to them. One addiction at a time for them to treat is a handful in itself, anyway they will start relying on some other ways of calming their stress and anxiety now that they can't use their favorite adictive drugs or any alcohol. The amount of time that they spend in detox will vary depending on the severity and length of time they were using drugs or alcohol. If they were veryunstable due to their addiction then recovery will take more than just 30 days in dry out. often times they may need 60-120 days in rehab and that may just be the beginning. Everyones addiction is different. If when they used they were just bouncing around the streets and friends couches for a good many years then they are going to need some long term care to re program their mind in order for them to join society again and become a productive member again. Tough love is one thing, but if they are not well then you have to understand that it will take retraing to get them stable and "normal" again. I'm sure you know other people who have have quit drinking or drugging and they have been just fine after they declared themselves clean and swore off their vices. Some people can quit in an instant and get back to normal just fine. Others are not as fortunate. A lot of addicts have underlying psychological disorders that needs treating also. So when your loved one goes into detox do not expect immediate miracles because often times you are kidding yourself. Again, every situation is different. And your support is very crucial for their well being. Also do not be under the impression that you alone are going to change them. There will not be one single person during their recovery process who will play the hero role in getting them permanently off their addiction. Addictionrecovery is only acheivable by multi persons and multi situations. Addiction recovery involves a system. Counselors and psychiatrists along with possible medications and other means of support. The addcit must be willing to want to make a change or their recovery will never occur. They have to be motivated and they have to seek out answers and be willing to make new friends and keep ways from old hangouts. They must be fully cooperative and seeking. Do not try to snoop and sneek around on the recovering addict. You will need to gain keep their full trust. The best thing that can happen is that they will want to go to thier regular group support meetings and make new friends. This is the first sign that they too want recovery. you cannot force nothing on them, they will learn through rehab and from other addicts what they must do to change. They will need at least one or two close confidants with whom they can discuss their deepest issues with. The confidants are referred to as sponsors. If you hear them talk about or mention that they have found a sponser then you can take that as a very good sign that they are seriously seeking what they need to gain a long term recovery. After their stay in detox, they very well may be transferred to a halfway where they can learn to get re-integrated back into society. If an addict has been using for a very, very long time then it is not uncommon for this transitional period of halfway house living and mental health follow up to last 3-5 years.

This is part 2 of a 3 part blog on "Helping your loved one find recovery from alcohol and drug addiction"

helping a loved one find recovery from a drug or alcohol addiction ...part 1 of 3

having a close friend or family member who is an addict can be very traumatizing. they can be hard to understand many times and also seem untrustworthy. the person they are deep inside is the one you dearly love. and that person is still there, you just gotta have patience and persistence. trust me, it will pay off. do not try to force an addict into recovery because that approach will never work. no "in your face" approaches nor try to jam religion down an addicts throat. it will never work. always be gentle, compassionate, caring, concerned and a good listener. you will need to build a trust with your loved one and hold no bias in dealing with them. they might begin to tell you things that may shock you, just love them and do not judge them. do not bring up times in the past when they have disappointed or even stolen from you. their need to feed their addiction is the reason for the disappointing acts they have committed in the past. you want the addict to get well and move on with their life, so you must talk with them only in those terms. do not overwhelm them with future events, think and talk only in the now. they will have days filled with ups and downs, there will be hours where they need to use and don't want you around, and there will be hours where they are thinking heavily about seeking help and quitting their addiction. that's where they need to know that you will be there. their mind will swing like a pendulum so be ready. when they are down and out and talk of quitting, you must strike while the iron is hot. if you do not know anything about what to do when they reach out for help, then prepare for that moment by going out and finding someone to help you when the time is right. you can either go to an al anon meeting and ask there for someone who can talk to your loved one when they are ready, or you can go see a counselor who will advise you how to contact them when your addicted loved one reaches out for help. after you find someone to intervene when that time comes, casually let the addict know that you care, and that you have been talking to someone "nice" who would be glad to assist in a recovery plan. it's important that the person who you both go to see has experience with being sober and acts in a friendly manner.it will really help greatly if you can bring them to go see an ex addict who truly understands. they will form a bond with the addict immediately. in order for the addict to quit using, they need to change their environments where there are no recognizable triggers that can cause them to use again. bring them into a new area of town that they are unfamiliar with . they will be uneasy and jittery when they first quit using, so you need to prepare to keep them calm in some way. if they have been a heavy user then you should be prepared to get them to inpatient detox right away. there they will be under medically supervised care. if you cannot afford detox then please contact your state human services department and they will provide state sponsored detox for free. before your addicted loved one finds recovery, you will need to begin talking with them about detox so you can prepare and set it up quickly when they decide they will accept help. in detox they are usually administered sedatives so that they can sleep and relax as their body withdraws from the chemicals that have become so necessary for them to survive. the bodies cells need to readapt to normal and this process is a shock to their system. the first 5 days or so will be the most traumatic on them. but detox in a proper setting will make this process as safe as possible.

there will be 3 parts to this condensed "how to help a loved one find recovery" blog.

my alcohol and drug addiction blogs that you find here are in conjunction with my website and book entitled "A NEW JOURNEY" RECOVERY FROM ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDICTION.

MY WEBSITE THAT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU IS AT http://www.treatingaddiction.info/

i will always be sharing more with you ....

thanks, and god bless you. john carcerano

http://www.lincolnparkcarpetcleaners.com