What Can Recovery Companions Do for Family Members of Someone Struggling With Substance Use Disorder?
At Next Level Recovery Associates, we offer the unique service of recovery companions. As stated on our website:
“Recovery Companions are highly trained professionals that are meant to help provide individual support to our clients during times that may be exceedingly challenging or risky. Next Level’s ‘Recovery Associates’ are hand selected for each client based on the situation and the client’s specific needs. Our goal is to always lift our clients up with compassion, dignity, and professionalism and to offer each client the individualized tools they need to succeed in any scenario.”
These individuals are trained to help those seeking recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) throughout their treatment journey and beyond. Support during this time is crucial. Although our recovery companions can assist those in active recovery, they can also assist the family members of those in recovery as well.
Why Do Family Members Need Support During This Time?
Although it may be just one family member struggling with SUD, that does not mean that other family members do not need comfort and support. Family members are often deeply affected by substance-using or other addictive behaviors of their loved ones. SUD and other addictions can leave family members struggling with their own forms of trauma as a result of their loved one's actions. In turn, they may feel a wide variety of intense emotions and thought patterns. Some examples of these can include the following:
Distrust toward the family member that is struggling as well as towards other loved ones
Fear of the actions and behaviors of their loved ones
Sadness from seeing their loved one struggle
Anger toward their loved ones for the hurtful actions they may have done to them
Hopelessness regarding their loved one's situation and their ability to find lasting relief
Because family members care so much for their loved one who is struggling with SUD, they may not be able to fully understand everything that their loved one is going through. SUD is a complex mental illness that requires intimate treatment and knowledge of healthy coping mechanisms to achieve sobriety and inner peace. When families can better understand all that goes into SUD, they can better help their loved ones and themselves.
What Can Recovery Companions Offer Family Members?
Luckily enough, recovery companions can help the family members of families in addition to the person experiencing SUD directly. They can be there for families in multiple ways, which means they can cater to the needs of many different types of people and families.
Education About Their Loved One’s SUD
Recovery companions can help families as their loved one endures the negative aspects of SUD by offering much-needed education about the disorder itself. Such education can greatly help family members to understand how and why their loved one behaves the way they do. Having answers can help families release any feelings of resentment because they can understand that what their loved one is going through is beyond their control.
Learning more about SUD can help families to empathize with their loved one and offer compassion rather than frustration and avoidance. It can also allow them to release any feelings of blame they may place on themselves for their loved one's disorder. This can be a great way for families to help their loved ones find inner peace for themselves.
Offer Additional Resources
Sometimes, families can feel as though they are the only ones who have a family member who struggles with SUD. They may think that no one else understands their struggles and that there will be no end to their struggling. While this can be a common fear, it is not true.
Recovery companions can help families find external resources that allow them to find relief from the feelings they might be experiencing. Some of these resources might include:
Al-Anon meetings
Group therapy
Healthy coping mechanisms to destress
Individual therapy
Podcasts
Books
Art therapy
Other support groups for families
These resources can help family members feel supported and encouraged as they allow the opportunity for their loved one to heal. In group therapy, families can find support from people who are in similar situations as them. This can prove to be extremely therapeutic because it helps family members realize they are not alone and find support among other struggling families. Recovery companions can ensure that families find the right resources for them and their needs.
Support During Their Loved One's Healing Journey
Family members need plenty of outside support when watching a loved one struggle with SUD. Recovery companions can offer much-needed support to families in these situations. They can talk with families about their struggles and let them voice their concerns. Companions can be there to support families each step of the way. They can offer reassurance, encouragement, and an outlet to release their various thoughts and emotions during difficult times. This kind of support is vital to have when a loved one struggles with SUD.
Recovery companions are individuals who help those that are struggling with substance use disorder (SUD). They assist individuals with various situations and dilemmas during their recovery journeys. While recovery companions are there for those directly struggling with SUD, they are also there for the family members of those that are struggling. Family members are also impacted by the consequences of their loved one's SUD. They may experience a wide variety of troubling emotions that can cause them confusion and distress. Recovery companions can help family members by providing them with information about their loved one's SUD, offering various beneficial resources, and giving them support and care during their loved one's journey. SUD is hard on everyone, not just the person experiencing it. Our recovery companions here at Next Level Recovery Associates can give family members much-needed support and care during these challenging times. To learn more, contact consult@nextlevelra.com.