Living with and supporting someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol can be exhausting; in addition to emotional strain, having a relationship with a user can strain you financially and physically.
Even though helping to place a loved one in an addiction treatment programme is an entirely altruistic action, some of the immediate benefits are self-serving; those caring for the addicted are also helped when the person abusing drugs is admitted to an addiction treatment programme.
Improved Emotional Health
The constant worry caused by caring for a loved one addicted to alcohol or drugs can take a significant toll on someone’s mental health, causing anxiety and lack of sleep. Knowing that your loved one will be under the care of qualified individuals, whose expertise span mental, physical and emotional concerns, is a great relief.
Smaller Economic Burden
A lifestyle of alcohol or drug abuse is an expensive one to maintain. Exacerbating these expenses is the fact that many people with substance addictions have trouble holding down jobs, plus their addiction may wear on their health, and they can amass hospital bills that they cannot afford to pay. This financial burden often falls on a loved one. Although addiction treatment programmes can be costly, it is an investment in a healthy future, one that will give back with much greater rewards.
Less Time Caring for the Addict
When a loved one is struggling with addiction, family and friends want to provide protection and support in any way, which often translates to hours and hours invested in another’s well-being, and family and friends are forced to neglect other areas of their lives. With your loved one in an addiction treatment programme, you will be free to refocus on your own life.
Addiction Rehab is Family Rehab
Various addiction treatment programmes offer family counseling, allowing family members to begin to understand their feelings of anger and disappointment towards the loved one who is addicted. Moreover, as the addict begins to deal with the emotions behind his alcohol or substance abuse, he can begin to mend broken family relationships.
Directing a loved one to addiction rehab is a difficult decision, but it is the right one, and one whose benefits affect more than just the person struggling with addiction.
