Unless you have experienced addiction and participated in a residential rehab program yourself, it is next to impossible to understand the many challenges someone in recovery faces as they shift back into home life. Returning home from residential treatment is an important milestone in the recovery process, but it comes with a wide range of difficulties. As a family, you play an essential role by supporting your loved one’s success and helping them maintain their sobriety. While playing the supportive role it is completely normal to have mixed feelings of hope and anxiety. The following information has been written to provide detailed guidance on how to create a supportive environment at home, how to make the necessary changes, and how to implement these life changes to help your loved one’s recovery. Your love and support can make all the difference. By taking these simple and practical steps, you can help your loved one maneuver through this challenging time, making sure they feel safe, understood, and able to continue their recovery and move towards a healthier, happier, sober life.
How to Create A Supportive Home Environment
A person’s home environment that nurtures and supports recovery is one of the most important steps you can take as a family member. Creating a safe place where your loved one can feel secure allows them to focus on their continued recovery. Your efforts to make these changes will show your commitment to their well-being and recovery success. The following are practical tips that you can use to create a supportive environment:
Removing Triggers:
– It is so important to remove any alcohol, drugs, and any paraphernalia from the house.
– Be aware of what substances could trigger a relapse, such as medications or items that can be associated with past substance use such as memorabilia or photographs.
Designate Safe Spaces:
– Creating a quiet, cozy space where your loved one can relax, meditate, or practice mindfulness allows them a place to practice the tools they have learned in rehab.
– Ensure that your loved one’s personal space is free from stressors like those mentioned already or anything else that may be a distraction.
Promote Healthy Habits:
– Provide a space for yoga or a small home gym, this will help to encourage regular exercise.
– Stocking the kitchen with healthy food and planning nutritious meals together can encourage healthy nutrition, and also build a healthy relationship. Take it to the next level and cook and eat together to strengthen the relationship even more.
Making Necessary Home Changes
Making some important changes to your living environment can support your loved one’s recovery. These adjustments will help reduce stress and help you monitor any stressors or triggers that may present themselves. Consider the following changes to your home to support your loved one’s continued recovery:
Create a Routine
– By establishing a consistent daily routine, you are able to provide structure and stability in your home.
– Include time for activities like therapy, support group meetings, and self-care. This will help make these habits part of your loved one’s routine which will greatly promote success in recovery.
Set Clear Boundaries
– By clearly communicating your expectations and the boundaries relating to behavior, curfews, and household responsibilities, you not only set your loved one up for success, it can prevent many frustrations on your part.
– Respect your family members’ need for personal space and privacy.
Monitor the Stress Levels in Your Home
– By removing clutter and loud noise from the home, you can greatly reduce stress levels of those living there.
– By encouraging open communication, especially regarding things that are causing stress, you can work together with your loved one on solutions to any potential problems.
Other Life Changes to Support Recovery at Home
Besides the physical environment of your home, the creation of boundaries, consistent schedules, and the monitoring of stress, there are other ways to alter your lifestyle to positively impact your loved one’s recovery. Consider the following:
Encourage Social Activities
– You can help your loved one stay connected to their support community they may have gained at rehab. This can include attending support group meetings.
– By encouraging healthy social activities that do not involve substances, you can support having fun in a healthy way.
Staying Educated
– Be committed to learning about addiction and recovery so that you can better understand the experiences and challenges your loved one is facing.
– By attending family therapy sessions, or even support groups for families of individuals in recovery, you can stay involved and receive first hand accounts of personal experiences of both the addict and the people that love them.
Be a Positive Influence
– By modeling healthy coping strategies and stress management techniques, you can provide a positive example of how to deal with stress.
– It is extremely important to avoid alcohol or drug use around your loved one. You do not want to be the trigger that sends them back into substance use.
Celebrate the Victories
– No matter how small the achievement in recovery is, it is to be celebrated.
– Plan sober outings and activities to recognize important milestones. This not only encourages your loved one to keep up the good work, it also allows the entire family to create positive memories.
Ways to Maintain Open Communication
Open and effective communication is key to providing ongoing support. Below are several ways you can keep an open line of communication:
Active Listening:
– You can show empathy to your loved one when they share their feelings and experiences. You do not have to relate to them in order to understand them.
– Avoid judging your loved one and instead offer reassurance and encouragement.
Promote Honesty
– Reassure your loved one that your home is a safe space for them to be open and honest about their struggles and successes.
– Be prompt to address any concerns but be constructive and not critical.
Staying Involved
– Participation in therapy sessions and support group meetings ensures that you are staying actively engaged in the recovery process.
– Staying informed about your loved one’s progress and any challenges they are facing keeps you involved in their recovery process. Staying informed also helps you stay on top of any potential relapse and makes you an active participant in helping find solutions.
Bringing it All Home
Although the completion of a residential addiction treatment program is a giant accomplishment, it does not mean the fight is over. Supporting your loved one after they return home requires a combination of the creation of a positive home environment, making necessary lifestyle changes, and maintaining open communication. Use these guidelines to help your loved one make a successful transition from rehab to home. These ideas will help promote continued success in your loved one’s recovery. If your loved one is preparing to come home from a residential rehab center in Farmington (or anywhere else), your support and understanding will be so important for their success. By embracing the strategies discussed above, and your continued dedication to education, you can help guide your loved one to a stronger foundation for long-term recovery.
Infographic
