There are many addiction support options available after treatment and recovery. There is never a full recovery from being addicted to a substance—relapses often occur, and some revert to the habit of abusing. Support after addiction should center on preventing relapse. If a recovering addict has support when a relapse occurs, they may not fall back into the pattern of addiction. Call 844.413.2690 to speak with someone from The Arbor Behavioral Healthcare’s knowledgeable and compassionate team in Texas about how to support someone with addiction and how we can help through our residential care program and other services.
Types of Addiction Support
Support options for recovering addicts include the following:
- Relying on their social network of family and friends
- Participating in support groups, such as 12-Steps programs on an outpatient basis
- Staying occupied with new hobbies
- Accountability reporting
- Counseling
The social network a recovering addict must build consists of sober people committed to helping the recovering addict, even if a relapse occurs. Recovering addicts may want to consider moving into a sober living community. These are communities of people who are all recovering addicts who have committed to remaining sober and supporting others who are struggling with this.
Another way to prevent relapse is regularly attending a substance abuse support group. Attending support group meetings should be a priority for all struggling with addiction recovery. Participating in these meetings has been shown to correlate highly with successful lifelong recovery. Trying to go through the process of returning to regular life alone, without any support from the people who know what it is like, is a daunting task for anyone.
Signs of Possible Relapse
In addition to these support options, recovering addicts can achieve lifelong recovery by being aware of the symptoms of a possible relapse. Some signs that a relapse may occur include the following:
- Obsessive talking or behavior toward the substance
- Disinterest in family and close friends
- Disinterest in hobbies
- Hanging out with old friends and pursuing former past times
Real life is stressful, and recovering addicts need to learn how to deal with the stress of everyday life in constructive ways. There are several strategies recovering addicts, and anyone else, can take to quickly and effectively relieve stress. Any exercise-related activity can help reduce stress because exercise releases endorphins. Many also find meditating or receiving a massage an effective way of dealing with stress.
Other common stress busters include playing with pets, listening to music, taking a hot bath or shower, picturing peaceful scenery, talking to family, and looking at family photos. Learning ways of dealing with life without returning to addiction is at the heart of the recovery process.
How to Support Someone with Addiction
If you know someone struggling with addiction, there are several ways to support them. Here are some ways you can help someone with addiction:
- Listen without judging or trying to fix the situation – Let the addict talk about their addiction and feelings without interruption.
- Educate yourself about addiction and recovery – This will allow you to understand addiction as a disorder better.
- Offer practical support to help them stay on track with their recovery goals – You can provide transportation to therapy or meetings and help them set realistic daily routines.
With the right support system and resources in place, addiction can be overcome. If your loved one has completed an addiction treatment plan but still seems to need addiction support beyond what’s available, consider enrolling them into a residential care program or other support of similar intensity.
Find Addiction Support in Texas at The Arbor Behavioral Healthcare
In general, people do not start abusing substances without some reason. That reason could be to overcome painful memories, calm down after a stressful day at work, or even forget about the various problem situations that arise in life. These issues are still there after recovery, but if a recovering addict seeks support to handle the rigors of life, then they will be in a much better position to handle stress without abusing drugs. Contact The Arbor today at 844.413.2690 to learn more about how to support someone with addiction.