Leading up to recovery, we may feel as though we are alone. Our lives may have become unmanageable, and figuring out how to navigate treatment can leave us feeling lost. More than ever, it is important to have our loved ones around us for support. The healing process is difficult, however, surrounding ourselves with supportive family and friends can improve our chances of success both in recovery and in daily life.

What Does a Family Oriented Environment Look Like?

Being around family is important to the healing process and can provide love and acceptance that we may not have felt for a long time. Substance use can affect the whole family. The primary person struggling with these issues may feel as though they are starting to heal, however, it is also important that the family members have the resources to be able to show up to support their loved one’s sobriety while prioritizing their own self-care.

One of the benefits of healing in a family environment is better mental health. There is a sense of calmness once we know that our family supports us and is willing to help us heal. When we know that people want the best for us, it can help us to want the best for ourselves as well. Receiving support from our families can help us to realize and accept our worth. Our feelings are all valid, and we all deserve to live happy, healthy, and sober lives.

Supportive and Communicative

It can feel scary to seek treatment. We know that our lives are about to change, and even though it is for the better, it still can feel daunting. Communicating with our families to ensure they are willing and able to provide emotional support as we enter into this new chapter of our lives is pivotal to our achievements. Support looks different in every family, but however it is expressed, it should leave us feeling seen, secure, and loved.

Empathetic

The ability of our family members to show empathy for those of us in recovery can help reassure us that they understand where we are coming from. It can help erase any guilt we may be feeling towards our addiction, and it can enable us to push past it towards full recovery and progress.

Fosters Accountability

A solid foundation starts with support and understanding, but it does not end there. The benefit of healing in a family-orientated environment also means feeling tough love. Family members holding us accountable when we start to fall off our path to recovery is essential. It is normal to have doubts about ourselves or the situation of recovery, but it is important to remember that we can do it, and our family wants to see us succeed.

Promotes Unconditional Love

We may feel some sort of shame surrounding our substance use, as it potentially disrupts our lives and creates turmoil in the family. Everyone makes mistakes, and being a part of a family means that we can all forgive and love one another regardless. Remembering that family should come with unconditional love can help us heal and get back into the world while living sober. No one is perfect; we all learn from our past in our ways, in our own time.

Choosing Your Family

Not everyone has a good relationship with their family, and that is okay. The great thing about making connections with people is that we can choose who our family is. We can create a close bond with co-workers and feel as though they are our family. We can meet someone in school who resonates with who we are and choose to love and support each other no matter what fully. Just because we did not grow up with someone or share the same DNA does not mean that they are not our family.

At the end of the day, we all need love and support. Through trying times, we need people to be there and let us know that everything is going to be okay. Whoever those people may be in our lives, we should cherish them. Going through treatment is a huge victory; we should definitely be proud of ourselves! Our next steps are to continue to heal while re-entering the world. Not everyone will be kind, so it is important to lean on those individuals in our lives who are. In case no one has told you today, we are happy that you are here, and you should keep going to live your best life.

How can we heal to our fullest potential? Having the love and support of our friends and family can be essential to this process. There are many benefits to being able to heal in a family-oriented environment. Family can provide us with support, empathy, accountability, unconditional love, and much more. We must be willing to be open and vulnerable with our family and close loved ones to receive the most authentic love and care. Seeking treatment can feel scary, but it will change our lives for the better. Having people behind us rooting for us will strengthen our desire to recover and live our lives sober. There will be many times that we may feel like giving up, and that is okay. We have to keep going through and reach out for help if we need it. We are all worthy of recovery, do not give up. Call (949) 435-7449.