The stress you experience while watching a loved one struggle through their addiction can sometimes be an overwhelming experience. 9.5 million Americans over the age of 18 are suffering from substance abuse disorder. Guiding them towards living their best life involves specific steps to recovery.
Sometimes recovery can be confusing for your loved ones or caregivers. They may just be lacking the understanding of key recovery stages of addiction someone has to go through to overcome their addiction and become worried. You can support your loved one by making yourself just a bit more knowledgeable about the process. We will walk you through the 6 stages of change in addiction recovery with this article. So that you can better understand what your loved one needs to experience, and how to be sympathetic and a better support system.
At our recovery center near Nashville, we help families navigate these transitions by providing comprehensive education and evidence-based clinical support. Our Knoxville rehab facility and our luxury Nashville programs specialize in guiding patients through these milestones to help them achieve a successful and sustainable transformation.
Identifying the six stages of recovery allows for a personalized approach to healing. Life after addicted behavior is possible with the right environment and specialized resources. Anything that takes time requires patience, but with professional guidance from Tennessee treatment experts who understand the clinical complexities of addiction, you can rest assured that your patience will bring you long-term sobriety.
Read on to learn more and contact Apex Recovery admissions today if you are ready to get the addiction treatment you need.
1. Precontemplation Stage
This is the stage before your loved one enters a substance abuse treatment program. They are not ready to enter a program yet because they are struggling to admit that they have something that needs to be treated.
Your loved one might not be aware of the negative impact their substance use can have. Or, they might know but feel like it is worth the short-term positive effects they feel while using the substance.
This stage can be difficult to get out of. Many people don’t realize they have an addiction and therefore don’t seek treatment. Other people may have gone through multiple failed treatment programs and feel like it’s not worth it to try again.
Your loved one may also feel like recovery isn’t an option for them because of how deep in their substance abuse disorder they feel. It’s important to help them understand that anyone at any stage of addiction can recover.
2. Thorough Contemplation
At this stage, your loved one is ready to talk about potential treatment. But, they are not necessarily ready to commit to a treatment program.
In the previous stage, they may not have understood the reality of getting substance abuse treatment. Now, they understand the benefits that addiction recovery offers. What holds them back from entering a program is the feeling that the perceived benefits of their substance use still outweigh the downfalls.
Your loved one will still bring up excuses they have for their addiction. Your goal as a support system is to remind them of the benefits of recovery.
You never want to be judgmental or accusatory. The goal is to be calm, sympathetic, and understanding as you motivate them to get treatment. During this stage, your loved one may experience withdrawal, relapses, or have severe triggers while still clinging to their substance dependence.
3. Getting Prepared
The preparation stage begins when loved one realizes how beneficial recovery is for your life and they choose to enter recovery. Your loved one fully understands that a substance-dependent life is unhealthy and unsustainable and sobriety’s impactful change will outweigh their desire to continue substance use.
The support system for the individual needs to offer even more encouragement, assistance, and love throughout this stage. Their proactivity for getting treatment should be celebrated.
It is possible for your loved one to move between stages two and three multiple times. They may try addiction recovery on their own without a treatment center. While this can work for some, professional guidance often provides a more stable foundation for success.
Your loved one may also relapse during this stage. If this happens, you need to maintain your support and help motivate them back toward recovery.
When your loved one decides to go to a treatment center, it’s important to manage logistics as you prepare for treatment. Employers may need notification, and home responsibilities like bills, pets, or plants will need management so that they can transition back into society with minimal stress.
4. Taking Action
This is one of the most critical stages in the transition to drug addiction recovery. Your loved one has made major changes to secure their recovery.
One of the biggest aspects of this stage is maintaining long periods without the substance. Your loved one will also feel motivated to ask for professional help if they feel a relapse is about to happen. They might join a 12-step program, engage in therapy, and find addiction management methods that work for them.
Your loved one will also need to make lifestyle changes. There will be a push for self-care and understanding. They may focus on a stable diet, regular exercise, and potentially improving their education as they overcome their addiction.
5. Maintaining a Lifestyle
Addiction recovery is a lifelong journey. As a member of your loved one’s support system, you will need to help them maintain their recovery. Counseling will still be available during this stage, though it may be less frequent than during the initial program.
It is possible for your loved one to relapse in this stage because they have to be proactive about maintaining treatment on their own as they transition out of 24/7 care.
The longer they can maintain their sobriety, the more confident they will become. Helping this confidence thrive will reduce the urge to relapse. Depending on the individual, this period can take anywhere from six months to several years.
6. Final Termination
The termination stage happens after all other stages have been successfully completed and your loved one is at a stable period in their life.
At this point, your loved one has reclaimed their health, found stable employment, and moved away from unhealthy environments that could lead to a relapse. They are living a happy, healthy life and understand that returning to their addiction is no longer a path they wish to take.
Support Your Loved One Through the Six Stages of Recovery
The six stages of recovery can be difficult to experience alone, but experiencing them as a family unit can also be a major hardship. If you are supporting a loved one in Tennessee in recovery, consider the benefits of seeking professional treatment. Sometimes entering a facility further from home gives you more perspective about how your habits have impacted your life. A facility like Apex Tennessee can provide the necessary distance from local triggers. Our team is ready to explain rehab program costs to help you form a real plan.
At Apex Recovery Tennessee, we offer evidence-based programs catered to the individual, because we care about long term recovery. The steps to recovery are manageable and sustainable when you have support. We provide that support for both the individual and their family members throughout every stage of the journey. We can also point you towards specialized clinical care like those for expecting mothers or for seniors seeking help. For those seeking spiritual grounding during the 6 stages of change in addiction recovery, we can connect you with a dedicated Christian treatment track to provide a fresh start in a serene environment.
All recovery stages of addiction deserve to be met with the appropriate level of medical and emotional supervision. Reach out to us today for a free consultation and see how we can help your loved one reclaim their life and thrive after addicted habits are left behind. Whether you need a 30 day rehab for an intensive start or prefer the privacy of our luxury Nashville facility, we are here to guide you. Understanding the recovery stages of addiction is the first step toward a permanent change. Please call us at (877) 881-2689 to begin the admissions process today.
