There are all kinds of families out there. As society gets more comfortable with gender and sexuality stereotypes bending and breaking, we see many different ways to define “family”. It’s great because there are so many people out there who have been abandoned by family, or whose relationships have deteriorated with their biological loved ones, so they have set out to make their own in the most organic way they can, societal and social norms be damned.
How do you survive when you have no other support structure? How do you get through the intensity that is detox, rehab, and continuing recovery when the only people waiting for you outside of treatment are an unsupportive family? Maybe your family is the sort who are all addicted. Maybe drug and alcohol addiction is a kind of family culture and they are skeptical of treatment and rehab. Or maybe your family is so angry about your struggle with addiction that they have disowned or abandoned you. First of all, I have to tell you that everyone deserves a life of sobriety and health. You deserve it and you can have it. Here are the ways to survive getting out of rehab without a ready made supportive family.
Make your own family. You know your roomate at rehab? You have stayed up late at nights having the most personal conversations of your life. You’ve processed your pain and hopes with them. What about that one friend who you know can’t wait for you to get back. They’re just one person, but you know they love you. Remember your therapist. They’re going to be there for you. Don’t let yourself get hung up about the fact that you pay them. If they are the right therapist for you, they will put you at ease and you will feel cared for and supported by them. Create your own family. Some of the most important relationships of your life are those you choose.- Focus on loving yourself. Do the things you love. Learn more about yourself and follow your passions and dreams. Practice positive self talk. Loving yourself and allowing yourself to fake that love until your self confidence muscles have built up to really support self love, is the most important thing you can learn from rehab. It’s the most successful way to heal from a dysfunctional and unsupportive family.
- Go to treatment. If you are leaving rehab, you know that the people you work with there become your family. If you or someone you know is addicted to drugs or alcohol you may already know some of the scary ways it can affect a person’s life. If you are suffering from addiction, and are seeking out addiction recovery in Florida, call us now at (833) 596-3502 to learn more about our intensive inpatient treatment or outpatient detox center in South Florida.
Don’t let an unsupportive family make you feel alone. We want to help you build a support structure so you can succeed at living a life full of love and sobriety.
