When you struggle with substance abuse, it affects the people who love you. Your whole family suffers because they know you are suffering, too. Now that you have sought help and completed treatment at Renaissance Ranch, you’ve learned how important family is to recovery.
Research shows that substance use disorder (SUD) affects everyone in the family unit. Some relationships may need repair. Other relationships may need maintenance. Here we will discuss some tips for how you can keep your family involved as you continue your journey in recovery and lifelong sobriety.
Keeping the Family Involved in Recovery
Your family is one of the most basic social units you first learned. We are literally with them from before we are born. You are with your mother in her womb, and she was there to hold you when you took your first breath and let out your first cry of life.
Soon, we learn about the many other parts of this thing we call family. Our lives are full of our family members, to varying degrees: grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, and sisters, all surrounding us and filling our lives.
Some people have different kinds of families. Chosen families are those that are not related biologically to us, but who are an important part of our lives. Whatever the reason they are formed, chosen families can have bonds just as great as those of traditional relationships.
Families are important. They really are the most basic social unit, a group that protects one another and loves one another. Your family may have been the catalyst to why you chose to seek help. For some of us, the task in recovery is to heal the family relationship that substance use broke.
But the bottom line is that research has shown that family and social bonds are important to success in recovery. It is easier to maintain abstinence and lifelong sobriety when we get our house in order, and it starts with maintaining our relationships with loved ones.
Keeping That Bond and Staying Healthy
We all want to maintain the close bonds we have with loved ones. Sometimes we even have to rebuild those bridges of trust – but do not worry; you can get there. Before we talk about ways to keep your family and loved ones involved, let’s talk about how to look after your health and safety.
It is not always easy to balance the complex issues of family dynamics in the best of circumstances. When you are dealing with complex issues and addiction recovery, it can be difficult to know what to do.
Never fear. We have some tips for you on how to keep yourself safe and maintain bonds with family and loved ones.
First, learn to recognize when a relationship is safe or healthy and when it is not. A relationship that doesn’t feel safe might be toxic. Look for warning signs, like feeling a knot in your stomach, or feeling resentful or angry toward someone. If you feel like someone is asking too much, it is okay to say no.
Second, don’t be afraid to set clear boundaries. Your loved ones will understand that you need to determine the rules now that your life is different in recovery.
Third, stick to the boundaries you have set with your loved ones. These are the values you have chosen to live by, now that you have found sobriety and are in recovery. The people who love you will support you and should not ask you to do something you are not comfortable doing.
Our Tips for Families
One of the most important things you can do while you strengthen those family bonds in recovery is to let your family know the things they can do and the resources they have at Renaissance Ranch. Here are a few of the ways Renaissance Ranch helps families get involved and stay involved in treatment and recovery:
- Online family education classes help loved ones know what they can do and how vital they are in your recovery.
- Our Instagram account and podcasts are great resources for families and loved ones of those in recovery.
- Personal bible study for families of those in recovery is key. We believe that successful recovery begins with a higher power. Dealing with addiction in a family can cause a strained relationship with God. Our resources are targeted to help your loved one find their power and reconnect to its calling.
- We help loved ones connect to Al-Anon and other family resources.
- We connect them to community support, including meetings and other individuals in the community who can act as peer support for them.
- We offer encouragement to find daily time to practice their own recovery. Mindfulness, prayer, scripture study, and writing down feelings can help family and loved ones focus their energy positively.
We are always here when your family members need to reach out for help. We are only a phone call away.
Families Thrive in Recovery
At Renaissance Ranch, we know that people are successful in reaching sobriety and lasting recovery when they have the support they need. Having family and loved ones on your side can make all the difference.
Substance use can lead to a great strain on families and cause a great deal of damage. Hearts need to heal, too, and sometimes seeing you healthy again can start the mending process. At Renaissance Ranch, we work to educate families and provide them with the resources to be lifelong and active participants in recovery.
Your families may have gotten you here. Whatever kind of family you have, their love and relationship can propel you into a lifelong recovery from substance use.
Whether you are just starting to look at treatment facilities, are in treatment at Renaissance Ranch, or are transitioning to outpatient sober living facilities, we understand how important fixing family ties and maintaining those bonds is to successful recovery. In our treatment program, you can learn the tips and strategies to forge lasting bonds with your loved ones, designed to carry you through to success and sobriety. We also know how important family is, and that is why we also offer resources to families who have loved ones who struggle with addiction. We are committed to helping your family stay involved in the healing journey you begin with us. We will guide you and your family as you navigate the complexities of treatment and recovery. Together, we can all find lasting success and happiness in recovery. Call Renaissance Ranch at (801) 308-8898 and get started today.