Having a loved one suffering from addiction can be very difficult, no matter who you are or what you've experienced in your life. Seeing people we love go through something that changes who they are and actively hurts them is not something we're prepared to go through. There exists a misconception, when we think of ... Read More
Help For Loved Ones
When your loved one begins exhibiting signs of substance abuse or increasing mental health issues it can leave you feeling helpless and desperate. These feelings are not uncommon and we’ve seen them all as we’ve treated thousands of patients and their families. The articles found here focus on tips and advice on supporting a loved one who is struggling with a disorder or has begun treatment and needs support.
6 Tips for Helping Your Partner Stay Sober After Rehab
A Loved One’s Guide to Healthy Communication with an Addict
It’s not easy to watch a loved one continue to use drugs or alcohol when it's very obvious to you that it’s destroying their life. You know they can turn things around if they just stopped using. You may be tired of picking up the pieces and managing life on your own. Having healthy communication skills in a ... Read More
Setting and Keeping Healthy Boundaries: A Roadmap for Those Who Love Someone with an Addiction
There’s nothing you want more than for your loved one’s addiction to just go away. You want to shield them from the consequences of their actions, provide them with the tools to get healthy, and then move on with your lives. Although that’s not easy to do, setting healthy boundaries is a critical step for your loved ... Read More
5 Useful Considerations When a Spouse’s Workaholism Is Impacting Your Relationship
Could your loved one be addicted to work? What do you do when your husband works so much that you feel he is missing out on key time with the kids? What about the wife who never is able to get to the kids' games or attend important family functions? Working long hours isn’t uncommon in many situations. Knowing when a ... Read More
8 Essential Guidelines for Developing an Aftercare Plan to Support a Loved One
After watching someone you love struggle with a substance abuse disorder for weeks, months or even years, the successful completion of an addiction treatment program may feel like the weight has been lifted off of your shoulders. And while it's true that rehab is a vital step in the recovery process, it's not the end ... Read More
PTSD Social Withdrawal: The Reasons Your Loved One with PTSD is Self-Isolating
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, better known as PTSD, is a common mental disorder affecting around 8% of the population at any given time. The result of a stressful experience, such as fighting in a war, physical or sexual assault, surviving a natural disaster or anything else that results in fear, acute stress or ... Read More
Coping in the Aftermath of Suicide: Resources and Supports for Friends and Family Members
Freud described over a century ago in a book called "Trauer und Melancholie (Mourning and Melancholia)" that attempted to explain two similar but disparate reactions of someone losing a loved one. According to Freud, grief (mourning) refers to the experience of intense sorrow and distress over the loss of a loved ... Read More
Narcan: The Must-Have Drug to Have on Hand if Your Loved One Has an Opiate Addiction
It's 2017, Chicago, and Chris Rogers is walking the three blocks from his parking spot to the front door of his apartment building. He passes a park and sees a woman motionless on the ground. He approaches her and recognizes it immediately — an overdose. He has to make the split-second decision between ... Read More