RehabFAQs

what to do when your loved one calls you from rehab wanting to come home

by Prof. Magdalena Miller DDS Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago

If your loved one shows up at your house, tell them you do not agree with their decision to leave rehab; let them know they must complete treatment before they are welcome home. DON’T Let them in the house until they fulfill their end of the deal – and complete rehab. Reach out for support for yourself. DON’T feel like you are in this alone.

Full Answer

What should I do when my loved one comes home from rehab?

Aug 02, 2013 · If you are getting a call from someone demanding to leave rehab, you can know he or she has hit some heavy weather. Simply acknowledge it, and set a goal for that moment–for the person to commit to “one more day.” A daily commitment to “one more day” ends-up in making it through. Get Them to Share Get them to tell you about what they are learning.

How can I help my loved one overcome addiction?

Nov 11, 2015 · Find a local support group for families, friends or spouses of addiction where you’re able to open up about what you’re feeling and thinking when your loved one comes home from rehab. Listen to the stories and feelings from others in the group.

How do you deal with a loved one going to meetings?

Oct 02, 2019 · Stopping problematic, chaotic substance use is like stopping the bleeding on a gaping wound: it’s necessary, but it doesn’t address the reason why the person started bleeding in the first place. Don’t focus on the drug use. Focus on helping the teen create a life that doesn’t need to be medicated away. Coming home is hard, for everyone.

How can I help my husband in his recovery from addiction?

Dec 18, 2019 · Let’s take a look at 11 things family members should avoid doing once a loved one returns home from drug rehab. Don’t: Put Pressure on Him The first three months of recovery are always the most difficult. Avoid pushing your loved one to do too much too soon. Give him ample time each day to do what’s necessary to solidify and benefit his recovery.

What happens after you come out of rehab?

After completing detoxification and inpatient rehabilitation, a person in recovery will return to normal life. This includes work, family, friends, and hobbies. All these circles and events can trigger cravings and temptations. Research suggests most relapses occur in the first 6 months after treatment.Dec 14, 2021

What should you not ask a recovering addict?

People can seem insensitive to the recovering addict by asking the wrong types of questions, including:Will you ever be able to drink or use drugs again?Why can't you just have one and then stop again?How long do you have to go to your meetings?How many times have you relapsed?Are you using right now?More items...•Feb 20, 2018

What to say when someone tells you they are in rehab?

Encouraging Words for Someone in Rehab: Knowing What to Say and When“I am so proud of you.”“I am here for you.”“How is it going?”“How can I help?”“You are not alone.”“You deserve to focus on yourself and your recovery.”“Try to take things a day at a time.”“What have you learned in treatment so far?”More items...•May 10, 2021

Can you have a successful relationship with a recovering addict?

When you're dating a recovering drug addict, then clubs or parties—where abuse may occur—can also be triggering for your potential partner. It's crucial to talk through these issues and your partner's triggers with your partner, so you can build a romantic relationship that works for both of you.Jun 23, 2019

How do you sober up in 5 minutes?

However, there are some things they can do to feel more alert and appear soberer.Coffee. Caffeine may help a person feel alert, but it does not break down alcohol in the body. ... Cold showers. Cold showers do nothing to lower BAC levels. ... Eating and drinking. ... Sleep. ... Exercise. ... Carbon or charcoal capsules.

What do you ask someone in recovery?

During your loved one's recovery, It's a good idea to ask questions such as “How are you feeling?” and “What do you need?” The key is having honest and healthy conversations and letting loved ones know that they can come to you for support and guidance.Oct 2, 2018

What to say to encourage a recovering addict?

8 Things to Say to Someone in RecoveryI Love You. ... You're Not Alone. ... Everyone Needs Help Sometimes. ... How Are You Feeling? ... How Can I Help? ... Let's Hang Out. ... I'm Proud of You. ... I Know You Are Struggling, But There's Always Hope.May 29, 2019

What do you say to a one year sober?

“Happy Sober Anniversary” Sample Messages“I'm so happy to see you taking care of yourself.”“You've grown into such a strong and independent person.”“I'm so proud of you and the progress you've made.”“You deserve to be happy.”“I'm happy you're doing so well. ... “You are deserving of a happy and sober life.”More items...•Jul 21, 2021

What do you say to someone who is sober?

What to say to someone on their sobriety anniversary“I'm so proud of you.”“You're doing incredible work. ... “I'm here if you ever need anything.”“I am so happy you're doing well.”“You are truly inspiring to others who are struggling with addiction.”“You've grown to become such a confident and strong person.”More items...•Sep 27, 2021

Should you date while in recovery?

Conventional wisdom suggests that recovering addicts wait at least a year before pursuing a romantic relationship. That's not a punishment; it's a guideline meant to increase the odds of successful recovery. Recovery takes work, and you will need to devote most of your time and energy to staying sober.Feb 3, 2020

What are healthy boundaries in recovery?

Healthy boundaries include feeling safe to express feelings in a calm, assertive manner, and to stand firm even if others don't agree. Healthy boundaries mean maintaining personal values, being yourself, and not bending to who others think you should be.

Is it OK to date someone in recovery?

During recovery, a person may have days that are hard and stressful. It's important to keep this in mind when dating someone in recovery. In a relationship, you should try to stay supportive and keep their well-being in mind as time goes on.Jun 22, 2021

What happens when you let your loved one manipulate you?

But, in fact, when you let your loved one manipulate you, you are contributing to the addictive mentality and allowing him to be a victim. Ignore problems. If there are communication or behavioral issues in the household, you need to address them. In rehab, addicts learn the importance of being open and honest.

How to stay in your loved one's life after rehab?

If you want to remain in your loved one’s life after rehab, you will need to remain involved in the recovery process. That means working with her to create a safe and supportive environment at home and continuing to be supportive, checking in frequently.

What happens when a family member goes to rehab?

When a member of your household suffers from addiction, the entire family is affected. Helping your loved one make the decision to enter rehab is the first step of healing for everyone involved. After rehab is over, and your family member is ready to return home, there is still more work to do. Now you and the rest of the family will be involved in the continuing success of the addiction recovery program.

What is addiction recovery?

Addiction recovery is about striking a new balance in life after rehab, taking control of your own actions and letting go of the need to control things outside of yourself. Your loved one is working on their internal acceptance, and will then have to figure out how to rebuild relationships with others.

How to help someone in rehab?

Take care of yourself. You cannot be constantly engrossed in someone else’s addiction recovery, even when it is someone you love. Take time out for recreation, rest, fun and emotional release. Supporting a loved one’s transition from rehab back home is a major undertaking.

What to do when someone comes home from rehab?

When your loved one comes home from rehab, he may still be working on his communications skills, and you can help with that. Have a calm and open conversation about how you would like everyone in the household to behave. Come to an agreement on some ground rules.

Is a loved one cured of addiction?

Your loved one is not “cured” from addiction. Addiction is a chronic disease with the same relapse rate as other chronic diseases, about 40 to 60 percent. Your loved one will have to maintain her sobriety for life, and rehab is a part of that process.

What happens if you relapse?

Relapse happens – not just in addiction, but in many diseases.You don’t have that much power over your loved one; nothing you do or say will cause him or her to drink or drug again. And if he or she does relapse – it’s not on you.

Can a spouse be a victim of addiction?

Despite any finger-pointing that went on while your loved one was in active addiction, it’s extremely important to remember that you as a family member, spouse or friend are not the cause of your loved one falling victim to addiction.

Is recovery from drug addiction one size fits all?

Recovery from drug and alcohol addiction isn’t one-sized fits all. Some individuals recovery fairly smoothly, with hard work but few ups and downs. For others, it may be a very emotional process. Practice understanding and positivity as your loved one begins their healing process.

How to help an elderly person who is still living with them?

Here’s a tip for family caregivers whose aging loved ones are still living with them: If your elder asks to “go home,” try to determine if they have any immediate needs that must be met (e.g. hunger, thirst, pain), and then attempt the same distraction or relearning techniques. Some people go as far as taking their loved ones for a drive around the block and then re-entering the house. This approach can work for a while, but it depends on the elder and their level of cognition.

Why would a loved one not be satisfied when they move to their last home?

Even if you were to pack your loved one up and take them to their last home, they probably wouldn’t be satisfied because they may not remember it or it’s not really the home they are longing for. Deep down, they want to go to their childhood home from decades ago, not the place where they were living before their move to a senior living facility.

Do elders handle dementia?

Although the move makes sense logically, elders in the middle and late stages of dementia do not handle change well. It’s probable this person would become agitated and disoriented by yet another move and would still not consider it to be “home.”.

Can dementia be fixed?

So, arm yourself with understanding and acceptance. This is yet another dementia-related behavior that simply cannot be fixed. Distraction and redirection can sometimes help keep this demand at bay for a while, but the pleas will continue until they are replaced with another obsession or behavior.

What to do before a loved one leaves rehab?

Before your loved one leaves rehab, he will sit down with counselors and develop a detailed aftercare plan. This will make his transition back into the “real” world much easier.

What to do if your loved one relapses?

Be Afraid of Sparking a Relapse Despite the myths, nothing you do or say you can cause him to relapse; you simply don’t have that much power. If your loved one relapses, it’s not your fault. You didn’t force him to do anything. Be honest about your feelings, without the fear of the consequences.

How to avoid making your own recovery plan?

Avoid Making Your Own Recovery Plan This is especially important if your addicted loved one is a teenager or still living at home. Make sure the plan has doable, realistic goals and consequences if he fails to meet those goals. Bring up the Past It’s a given that your loved one hurt you with his drug use.

What happens if you care about someone who has substance abuse?

If someone you care about has a substance abuse problem, you will have been damaged by this as well. The emotional, physical and financial impact of dealing with someone suffering from addiction is tremendous. You have to make sure that you recognize this, and start to put a focus on yourself.

What does acceptance mean in life?

You will also have a gap in your own life, as you are left to deal with things on your own. Acceptance: the light at the end of the tunnel. Acceptance does not mean all your problems are resolved, but rather, that changes are starting to be made, and that you can see where things will go from there.

How long does rehab last?

Most rehab stays last for about one month. However, it is known that if people stay longer, up to 90 days, they are more likely to remain sober as well. While some believe they would get too comfortable in their sheltered environment, research has shown that it takes more than a month to change the mindset away from previous, drug using, peers and environments.

What happens if you stay in long term rehab?

If someone does remain in long term rehab, you can expect that they will receive a greater variety of treatment options while they are there so they can continue to grow. They will have a better understanding on why they became addicted in the first place.

How long does it take for a patient to feel alive?

After Two Weeks. It will take a good two weeks before the patients really start to feel alive again. Once they get to that point, they can start to receive far more intensive counseling and training. They will continue to attend individual and group counseling sessions as well as workshops and educational classes.

What happens when you go to rehab?

Afterwards, they will be placed under a medically supervised withdrawal to detox from toxic substances in their body. They may also have been prescribed different medication to help them deal with the withdrawal symptoms.

What happens when a loved one goes to rehab?

When a loved one goes to rehab, you are both going through a stage of extreme transition. Change is hard and we are, as humans, genetically programmed to be resistant to change. If change doesn’t take place and you stay where you are or return to it, the outcome will be devastating.

What do we tell our families about addiction?

Most of what we tell families is to give the addict room to recover. Certainly talk about the problem, but don’t try to micro manage it. Families are not God. They can’t tell their loved one what to do, and they have their own life. Many times, the family doesn’t realize they have a disease called codependency.

What is the best thing a family can do?

When family members understand they are powerless over their loved one’s addiction, they’ve taken the first step towards helping their loved one. Many families try hard to help. But as they try, they often enable their loved one in the process.

Is routine important at Duffy's?

It varies from guest to guest, but routine is key. When they’re here at Duffy’s, they’re on a pretty tight schedule, and that’s intentional. Up until this point, they haven’t been able to do that in their life. So maintaining some routine when they return home is equally important.

What is smart recovery?

SMART Recovery offers in-person and online meetings using Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy to help people change their substance use and find recovery. SMART Recovery Friends and Family has online and in-person support groups for the loved ones of addicted people and uses CRAFT principles.

What is Beyond Addiction?

Beyond Addiction was written by the psychology team at the Center for Motivation and Change in New York.

What did the re-engaged women learn from the family?

They learned to watch for something positive and were always ready to encourage a healthy behavior like looking for work, agreeing to see a doctor, or staying in for the evening. They re-engaged her with the family, with the clear expectation that plans would be cancelled if she showed up intoxicated.

Did Jen and Aaron help their daughter?

Soon the day came when their daughter said that she was willing to try treatment. Jen and Aaron were ready. They knew that helping their daughter get into treatment was a healthy way to be involved in her recovery efforts. They already had a treatment agency in mind and had checked their insurance benefits.

Did Jen and Aaron have control over their daughter?

They didn’t have control over her or her addiction, but they found all the ways that they could influence change in their home and in their relationship with their daughter. -Lara Okoloko. Jen and Aaron were surprised to find how much influence they appeared to still have with their daughter. They didn’t have control over her or her addiction, ...

Who wrote the book "Get Your Loved One Sober"?

The CRAFT primer written by CRAFT researcher Dr. Robert J Meyers, Get Your Loved One Sober is easy to read and provides concrete advice to the family members of people in addiction.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9