What It’s Like Loving An Addict?
People are particularly vulnerable to using drugs when going through major life transitions. For adults, this might mean during a divorce or after losing a job. When and how to let go of a drug addict? An addiction rehab facility can help lead the addict to recovery, but if they have no interest in getting well, it may be time for you to leave.
A substance abuse problem is a chronic disease that requires lifestyle adjustments and long-term treatment, like diabetes or high blood pressure. Even relapse can be a normal part of the process—not a sign of failure, but a sign that the treatment needs to be adjusted. With good care, people who have substance use disorders can live healthy, productive lives.
Addiction Impacts The Whole Family
Drug abuse can be a painful experience—for the person who has the problem, and for family and friends who may feel helpless in the face of the disease. But there are things you can do if you know or suspect that someone close to you has a drug problem.
While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for helping a family member who is drinking too much, using drugs, or dealing with a mental illness, research shows that family support can play a major role in helping a loved one with mental and substance use disorders.
When a family member is experiencing a mental or substance use disorder, it can affect more than just the person in need of recovery. Evidence has shown that some people have a genetic predisposition for developing mental and substance use disorders and may be at greater risk based on environmental factors such as having grown up in a home affected by a family member’s mental health or history of substance use. Families should be open to the options of support groups or family therapy and counseling, which can improve treatment effectiveness by supporting the whole family. [1]
It is also important to remember that the unique challenges that come from helping a loved one with a mental or substance use disorder can be taxing, so caregivers should take steps to prioritize their own health as well.
Family members may be more likely to notice when their loved ones are experiencing changes in mood or behavior. By being able to offer support, family members can connect those in need with treatment, resources, and services to begin and stay on their recovery journey.
Stop Enabling
Certain drugs can change the structure and inner workings of the brain. Repeated use affects a person’s self-control and interferes with the ability to resist the urge to take the drug. Not being able to stop taking a drug even though you know it’s harmful is the hallmark of drug addiction.
A drug doesn’t have to be illegal to cause this effect. People can become addicted to alcohol, nicotine, or even prescription drugs when they use them in ways other than prescribed or use someone else’s prescription. [2] Deciding and figuring out how to let go of a drug addict you love may be painful, but it might also be the best possible thing you could do for both yourself and the addict to stop enabling them.
Putting A Stop To Enabling Behaviors
Substance use disorder may sometimes impact a person to the point of risking their job or housing. It may feel impossible to refuse to help a loved one in this situation. Though challenging, sticking to your boundaries can be important in these tough circumstances. It’s also critical to try not to lie or make excuses for their behavior. Shielding them from the consequences of their actions could be harmful in the long run.
Boost Your Emotional Health
Many find it helpful to join a self-help or support group for friends, families, and loved ones of individuals struggling with an addiction or in recovery. How to let go of a drug addict? Get the therapy you need to work through your emotions and take care of yourself first.
With the agreement of the individual in treatment/recovery, you can:
- Help develop their treatment or recovery plan. This plan details small personal goals specific to the individual related to physical and mental health, employment, family, and interpersonal relationships
- Attend mutual support meetings with your loved one or on your own to connect with others who have experienced addiction second-hand
- Seek out treatment services and recovery support that offers family therapy
When You Need A Break
While you may make your best effort to help them, at some point, you might also have to understand how to let go of an addict you love. How to let go of a drug addict and take a break? If you threaten to leave but then continue to stick around, the addict learns that they can continue to depend on you to help support their addiction.
Many individuals remain involved in an addict’s life even as they’re wondering how to let go of a drug addict. As a partner, you want to care for your significant other, and when they are suffering from a life-altering disease like addiction, this can suck all the energy you have. If you are facing challenges in your life, the last thing you’re probably thinking about is how to incorporate more joy into your life. But, think about what brings you joy and try to include as many of those things as possible into your day. By finding more joy in your everyday life, you will become gentler towards yourself and others.
When You Stop Caring
Codependency is a learned protective behavior, allowing people to cope with a very difficult situation. However, codependency is not healthy, and it results in a never-ending cycle of similar relationships.
The hardest part of codependency is being able to stop obsessing and let go of that individual. From a codependent who has spent years trying to be everything to that person and to win his or her love and appreciation, this is a big step and one that is full of challenges and doubts.
Even people who may not be codependent can still have difficulties in knowing when to walk away. While they may resent the person and what they are doing to themselves and the relationship, they also see their role as the last stabilizing element. This can lead to concerns about leaving the addict to simply sink deeper into the addiction, eventually leading to serious illness, injuries, or tragic death. [3]
When To Let Go
If you are depressed, anxious, experiencing rage, or have developed other physical health problems due to your loved one’s addiction, this is a symptom that you need to do something different or learn how to let go of a drug addict. Letting go or thinking about how to let go of a drug addict doesn’t always mean giving up. Sometimes, it can be the best thing you can do to give your loved one some space to think and decide on their own.
When it comes to substance use disorder, detachment may involve setting clear boundaries and ceasing to take responsibility for someone else’s behavior. Family and friends can easily be drawn into damaging patterns caused by enabling behavior. They may try to:
- Fix the person
- Cover for them
- Drop everything to rescue them when there’s a crisis
It’s understandable to want to do everything you can to help someone you love. But ultimately, enabling is not helpful to either party. Enabling a loved one with substance use disorder instead of supporting them in healthy ways might result in:
- Self-destructive behavior in the person with substance use disorder
- Disempowerment of both parties
- A codependent dynamic that could damage the relationship
- Feeling drained
According to PsychCentral, detaching with love can be more supportive than enabling because it allows the person with substance use disorder to experience the consequences of their actions. This doesn’t mean you stop caring or that you cut off contact. In fact, detaching can sometimes be the best way to preserve the relationship. [4]
How to Let Go Of An Addict You Love?
There’s a fine line between supporting addiction recovery and learning how to let go of a drug addict and to let go of the situation for the better. If you are worried about a family member and do not know how to help them with their alcohol or drug use, try talking to someone about it. Someone who knows your family, such as your doctor, a counselor, or a social worker might be able to provide help in a way that fits your family.
It can be helpful to talk to other people who know what you’re going through. If you would rather speak with someone you do not know, call We Level Up TX 24/7 alcohol and drug counseling service. We Level Up TX’s trained drug and alcohol counseling service will be able to give you advice and suggest the best next steps that suit your situation.
Ask For Support
Family members that are supportive and knowledgeable in the recovery world (especially with help from Al-Anon or Nar-Anon) will be extremely beneficial. For instance, offering practical help like taking you or a loved one to addiction treatment, therapy, or meetings. They can also encourage you to attend a 12-step program and even attend meetings with you. This type of help is essential in making you or a recovering loved one have a sense of importance and usefulness.
If a loved one is using drugs, encourage them to talk to their primary care doctor. It can be easier to have this conversation with a doctor than with a family member. Not all drug rehab centers require long stays in residential treatment centers. For someone in the early stages of a substance use problem, a conversation with a doctor or another professional may be enough to get them the help they need. Doctors can help the person think about their drug use, understand the risk for addiction, and come up with a plan for change.
Substance use disorder can often be treated on an inpatient basis. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to treat. Substance use disorder is a complicated disease. Drugs can cause changes in the brain that make it extremely difficult to quit without medical help.
For certain substances, it can be dangerous to stop the drug without medical intervention. Some people may need to be in a hospital for a short time for detoxification when the drug leaves their body. This can help keep them as safe and comfortable as possible. Patients should talk with their doctors about medications that treat addiction to alcohol or opioids, such as heroin and prescription pain relievers.
How We Can Help? Searched for “Texas inpatient consultants” or are you seeking a national inpatient rehab destination?
We Level Up Texas passionately believe that the best chances of success in addiction recovery are when clients are given the right tools. But that is still only half of the fight; making those resources available and convenient plays a significant role in the probability of proper recovery.
As such, We Level UP TX is pleased to offer aftercare services and treatment programs (individual counseling, group therapy, and 12-step program meetings the same as Narcotics Anonymous) at the same facility. This means fewer headaches and bothers for our clients, who can spend more time focusing on getting better.
If you or a loved one is dealing with an addiction to drugs, especially if you have experienced multiple relapses in the past, then look no further. With an incredible success rate for long-term recovery, We Level Up Treatment Centers offer one of the most comprehensive addiction recovery programs available in The U.S., bringing hope to families every day.
We Level Up TX provides treatment services to all local communities including but not limited to Texas. We also serve clients from around the United States who require the best drug and alcohol treatment options to meet their needs.
There are many reasons to support a loved one who is willing to go to rehab, but there are also valid points why you’re at the point of thinking about how to let go of a drug addict. For loved ones of addicts, learning about how to let go of a drug addict will be the single-hardest step to take. However, detaching from a loved one during an addiction-driven situation may be the only way to save a life. Looking for immediate help? Please speak with one of our 24/7 Addiction Advisors.
Sources:
[1] Resources for Families Coping with Mental and Substance Use Disorders – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
[2] Dealing with Drug Problems – National Institutes of Health
[3] Learning to Let Go of a Spouse with an Addiction – https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/addiction-and-recovery/201907/learning-let-go-spouse-addiction
[4] Lovingly Detaching from Someone with Substance Use Disorder – https://psychcentral.com/addictions/lovingly-detaching-from-someone-with-substance-use-disorder