It can be very frustrating to be sober in a household that still has people in it struggling with active addiction. However, the key is not to let those frustrations affect and damage your own sobriety. To do that, you must use some tools at your disposal that can help you stay recovered in the long term.
Staying Sober In an Addicted Household and the ‘Family Disease’
No place does the phrase, “one day at a time,” apply more than when you are sober living in an addictive household. It is important to take it moment by moment and not get overwhelmed. After all, addiction is a “family disease.”
The family disease of addiction means that addiction affects far more than just the individual who is struggling. It affects the whole household, both those in recovery and out. To understand this, it is important to know what addiction might look like in the home.
The Signs and Symptoms of Addiction in the Household
One can look out for many universal signs and symptoms of the family disease of addiction. The following are just a few of those signs and symptoms:
- Isolating away from loved ones
- Losing interest in activities once enjoyed
- Experiencing trouble in the home
- Having feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and helplessness
- Not being able to stop once starting to drink or use substances
- Experiencing physical ailments such as headaches, body aches, and gastrointestinal problems
- Not being able to stop using even when there are known consequences
- A lack of care regarding the appearance of the home
- Engaging in risky behaviors
- Causing harm to oneself or others
Now, as one can see, these signs and symptoms can really damage the home and family dynamic. It can also damage your sobriety. This is why you should focus on healthy outlets and therapies that will help you in your recovery.
Getting Out of the House and Healing With Experiential Therapies
Experiential therapies can also be highly beneficial for long-term recovery. This includes nature-based therapies like nature immersion therapy and creativity-focused therapies like art therapy.
Nature immersion therapy offers a vast array of benefits for those struggling with addiction. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “Overall, natural environments can have a positive impact on health and well-being. Being outdoors in nature can be, in general, health-promoting. Furthermore, being outdoors can stimulate all the senses, increase the feeling of freedom, and have a positive effect on the immune system. Moreover, light and air can increase reflection and self-regulation for patients with depression.” Art therapy can also help with co-occurring mental health issues that can be triggered by active addiction in the home.
Art therapy is for anyone who wants to express themselves, and you don’t have to be an artist to partake. According to the peer-reviewed journal Cureus, “Art therapy is used most commonly to treat mental illnesses and can aid in controlling manifestations correlated with psychosocially challenging behaviours, slowing cognitive decline, and enhancing the quality of life. [It] can help people express themselves more freely, improve their mental health, and improve interpersonal relationships. The basis of art therapy is established on the idea that people can recover and feel better via artistic expression.” Working with others can also help you when you are struggling with addiction at home
Working With Others in Recovery
The primary text of 12-Step recovery states, “Practical experience shows that nothing will so much ensure immunity from drinking [and using] as intensive work with other [people in recovery]. It works when other activities fail… You can help when no one else can.”
When there is active addiction in the home, it is important to connect with active sobriety outside of the home. This can happen with group therapy or at recovery meetings. Remember, recovery is a “We” program, not a “Me” program. Getting out on the water can also be highly therapeutic.
The Benefits of Surf Therapy for Recovery
Blue spaces can be very relaxing and calming. This can be just what is needed when there is stress from addiction in the home. Surfing is a great way to experience these blue spaces.
Surf therapy offers a myriad of other benefits. According to the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Psychology, “One environmental context that has received less attention is water-based physical activity, with researchers suggesting that swimming and other water-based activities (e.g., kayaking, surfing) may provide superior benefits for the promotion of human well-being due to greater affordances. These activities have heightened the psychological benefits (e.g., reduced anxiety, depression, and perceived stress, increased positive affect, and increased quality of life) associated with exercise and nature among US war veterans. Further, there is increasing evidence suggesting that participation in action and adventure sports, such as surfing, is meaningful and life-enhancing.”Â
A Focus on Long-Term Success at Lantana Recovery
Here at Lantana Recovery, we believe in long-term success over short-term “fixes.” We also believe in giving you the tools so that you can stay sober no matter what circumstances you find yourself in.
If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, then you are ready for the next chapter. A healthy and sober chapter. You can do this! We can help.
Staying sober is hard enough, and it gets much harder when people in your house are still using drugs and alcohol addictively. It is important to know how to navigate an addictive household, as well as when to know when it may be time to protect your sobriety and find a safer space. If you feel like you or a loved one may be struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or both, we can help get you on the right road to recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this process alone. For more information about addiction as a “family disease,” please reach out to Lantana Recovery today at (866) 997-2870.
