If you have a loved one in your life who has experienced addiction, you know how devastating and hard the disease can be.
After years of struggle, they’ve now decided to get sober—but how to support an alcoholic in recovery? It can be hard to know the right thing to say or do during difficult times.
When supporting a recovering alcoholic, there are a few tips that can help both the other person and yourself—keep reading to learn more.
How to Support an Alcoholic in Recovery? First, Support Yourself
If you’re wondering how to help a recovering alcoholic friend, you first need to make sure you’re ready. Living with or helping a person with an addiction can be mentally and physically tough, putting a strain on your life.
To learn how to cope and manage your own feelings, try to head to an Al-Anon meeting—they are free support groups for those who have someone they love going through addiction.
Meeting with others who are in a similar situation lets you know you’re not alone and can be a great way to get tips, debrief, and connect.
Encourage Healthy Behaviors
You can encourage sober life habits by motivating your loved one to adopt healthy behaviors. Why not offer to get up early with them and go for a walk each morning, followed by a healthy breakfast?
Developing new, healthier habits, such as exercise, enjoying books or crafts, or just finding new passions outside of addiction can help with the healing process.
If they are doing well and you’re proud of them, why not select a small gift to give them as an encouragement? AA gifts are a great way to show support.
Remove Substances from Your Home
If a recovering alcoholic is staying in your home, you simply must remove all addictive substances from your home, such as alcohol or pills.
Temptation can be extremely hard to resist, and you want to get your loved one the best chance of success.
Give Them Space
Often, you may feel the need to pay a close watch on your recovering addict, since you’re concerned about what they may do.
However, this isn’t healthy. They need time on their own to think, heal, and work through their issues.
Often, patience can go a long way when it comes to living with an addict.
Use These Tips When Supporting a Recovering Addict
Helping a loved one with addiction isn’t easy, and it can be a long road to sobriety. However, now that you know how to support an alcoholic in recovery, use some of the tips above to provide better care and support to your loved one.
With dedication, effort, and drive, they will succeed. They will also appreciate the sacrifice and love you showed when caring for them.
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