Knowledge is Power

Knowledge is Power

“To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge.”

 - Confucius

Addiction can happen to anyone. However, when a loved one does struggle with addiction, it is not the sole individual who suffers but the entire family. Imagine yourself loving somebody and caring so much about them as they self-destruct, and how that would make you feel?

The key is to understand what you can control and what you can influence. Here are some basic steps to help you on your journey as you help a loved one who may be struggling with an addiction.

1. Learn as much as possible about the specific addiction.

Whether your loved one is addicted to opioids, alcohol, stimulants, or any other psychoactive substance, it's essential to understand that specific substance and how it works for your loved one. Though addictions overlap in behaviors and similarities, each has definite differences. The challenge is somebody struggling as an intravenous user of opioids is going to be different than those struggles of a loved one who is an alcoholic. Therefore, you must become educated about substance use and the particular addiction your loved one is struggling with. Knowledge is power. The more you know, the more you will be able to assist your loved one.

2. Connect with peers.

Connecting with someone you can trust and feel confident in will assist you in dealing with the emotional struggle you will have as your loved one deals with their addiction. This peer could include a best friend, family member, or a professional in the substance use disorder field. What is essential is to understand that you have an opportunity to vent your frustrations and receive feedback. There are additional programs such as al Anon and Alateen, but these might not be right for you; that is why it's crucial to find someone you can talk with. Different groups are specifically designed on social media where like-minded individuals can share their challenges and look for positive reinforcement and constructive feedback.

3. Manage your expectations.

When your loved one embarks on their recovery journey, you must understand that this will be their journey. Knowing this going forward will assist you in understanding your expectations of their success and or failure. Your loved ones will change their lives as they pursue recovery; for some, that can be a slow process. Understand that your expectations will not be the recovery goals of your loved one, so it's essential to understand that you do not project your beliefs and expectations as your loved one moves forward on their journey of recovery.

4. Keep active in doing things that bring you joy.

One of the most significant challenges that families face is that they stop all their life processes, including hobbies, travel, and even going out to dinner or a movie. As you manage your expectations with your loved one, here is a chance where you can reflect on your interests and take time for yourself. Self-care is imperative for everyone in life, and this is specifically important for a loved one dealing with a substance use disorder. If you enjoy gardening, music, cooking, volunteering with animals, or just taking a walk-in nature, make sure that you put that in your schedule weekly to adhere to your self-care. This we'll keep you rejuvenated and feeling com and peaceful. Just because you're dealing with a loved one with an addiction does not mean that your life stops, and you must abandon all of your interests. Do the things that bring happiness to your life- keep a smile on your face.

5. Take care of your health.

As with the previous step of keeping active and things that bring you joy, you must also maintain your health. Stress and trauma can wear down the best of people and keeping yourself on a regular exercise routine and eating a balanced meal will benefit you in the long run. This will also include sleep making sure you follow a schedule and get adequate rest. Like any machine without fuel, it will not function. Any human body needs rest to refuel itself.

6. Consider professional therapy.

This may not work for everyone, but it's important to mention because talking to a skilled, specifically someone who is educated and has an extensive substance use disorder treatment background, will benefit you because you will understand your role better in that relationship. This is also important because you'll have professional feedback that can give you direction on the challenges you will face going forward.

Whether your loved one goes into treatment or not, these steps are essential because the goal for you will be to set up conditions where you can take care of yourself and be the power of influence for your loved one. You will never be able to change someone, only influence them. Once you understand this, your ability to communicate with your loved one will improve. Understand that the word responsible is two words response-able.

It is not what happens to us but how we respond to it, and if your loved one embarks on their recovery journey, you can be there to support them. Suppose they are not ready for treatment yet. In that case, your knowledge and ability to be there for them will also support them by allowing that door of treatment to remain open while simultaneously creating barriers to keep you from being hurt or harmed.

To know and not to do is not to know all that our success comes from are doing, and here's an excellent chance for you to do this for yourself and your family, but your loved ones struggling with addiction.

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