Coming to terms with your addiction is a major milestone in your recovery. Even just admitting to yourself that this behavior is destructive is a fantastic win, and a huge step forward.
But another huge milestone that may come next is discussing your addiction with your friends and family members. These conversions are never easy, and if you’re feeling anxious, it’s perfectly understandable.
Your loved ones may need some time to process all the information you will give them, and they may ask some uncomfortable questions. It’s important to answer them honestly, and establish trust right from the beginning so that your loved ones can continue to support your journey.
Here are a few tough questions that might come up:
How Long Have You Been Struggling with Addiction?
Your loved ones may be surprised to learn about your addiction. Many people can go to great lengths to hide their habit, so some people may understandably want to know when this all began.
Be honest about this, even though your friends or family may be shocked to discover you’ve been addicted for a long time.
Why Are You Addicted?
You may not even know the answer to this. The reasons why people consume drugs and alcohol are vast, and often hidden even to them. Try as best you can to explain how your addiction began.
If you’re unsure, tell them that, and that you will likely explore this question more during your recovery.
What Types of Drugs or Alcohol Are You Struggling with?
Your loved ones will ask for these details so that they can process your situation. It might be painful to describe all the layers of your addiction to them, but again, be honest.
You don’t have to go into a lot of details regarding your addiction.
Are You Seeking Help or Planning on Receiving Treatment?
Talking to your loved ones might be your way of seeking help, so it’s perfectly okay if you don’t have a more extensive plan for your recovery.
Be honest with your loved ones about this, and even ask for their help in finding a rehab center that could help you.
What Can Your Family or Loved Ones Do to Help You Through This?
There’s no saying how your friends and family will react when you tell them about your addiction. Some may be shocked, angry, looking for someone to blame, or even need more time to process.
But many will genuinely want to help you through it, so they will ask what they can do to support you. There are many things a loved one can do at this time:
● Help find rehab and treatment facilities
● Spend time with you
● Be willing to talk and listen to you
● Even just be present
This is a new experience for everyone. You don’t have to have all the answers yet but recovery can happen at our Rehab South Africa.
