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Family & Friends

Know someone in recovery? Find out how you can help them in their journey as well as how you can cope on your own with our supportive articles.

recovering addict

Four Misconceptions About People Who Struggle With Addiction

By Nicole Arzt, M.S., L.M.F.T. Nicole Arzt is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in providing psychotherapy for individuals, families, and groups struggling with substance use disorders and psychiatric illnesses.

By perpetuating untrue myths, we only perpetuate the terrible stigma attached to addiction, which further alienates and harms t... Continue Reading

loved ones reconnecting during the holiday season

Tips for Setting Boundaries When Reconnecting With Loved Ones

By Rebecca Kovacs

How do we go about reconnecting with a loved one while setting boundaries at the same time? Continue Reading

a recovering addict explains her recovery to her daughter

How to Explain Your Recovery to Your Children

By Nicole Arzt, M.S., L.M.F.T. Nicole Arzt is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in providing psychotherapy for individuals, families, and groups struggling with substance use disorders and psychiatric illnesses.

No matter their age, you should expect your children to have questions about your recovery. Continue Reading

military personnel hugging their child

Mental Health Conditions Rising Amongst Children of Military Personnel

By Nicole Arzt, M.S., L.M.F.T. Nicole Arzt is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in providing psychotherapy for individuals, families, and groups struggling with substance use disorders and psychiatric illnesses.

Healthcare providers have reported an increase in psychiatric diagnoses, prescription medications, and clinical care for childr... Continue Reading

person searching for an interventionist

Finding the Right Interventionist for Your Loved One

Researching interventionists may improve the chances your loved one agrees to seek treatment. Continue Reading

Staging an intervention for a loved one.

How to Do an Intervention for an Addict

By Dominica Applegate Dominica Applegate has worked in the mental health field for 12 years before launching her own business as a writer. She earned her Master's in Counseling from Liberty Universit

Staging a proper intervention can be an effective way to steer a loved one towards recovery. Continue Reading

Couple in relationship going through addiction recovery healing together

How to Properly Love an Active Addict Back to Health

By Toshia Humphries Toshia Humphries is a Texan freelance writer, artist, and life coach and possesses three degrees in counseling and psychology, focusing on addictions and women’s studies.

We want to love our struggling loved ones, but true unconditional love starts from within. Continue Reading

man in distress

The Best Way You Can Love an Alcoholic

By Toshia Humphries Toshia Humphries is a Texan freelance writer, artist, and life coach and possesses three degrees in counseling and psychology, focusing on addictions and women’s studies.

Let them be who and where they are and love them anyway, from a physically and emotionally safe distance. Continue Reading

How to nudge a loved one to recover from drug and alcohol addiction without fighting

How to Motivate a Loved One to Recover From Addiction

By Colleen Marlett

Until you've walked in your addicted loved one's shoes, it's difficult to understand why taking a hard line with them just does... Continue Reading

friends talking

4 Ways to Support Your Loved One Through a Relapse

By Tori Utley Tori Utley is an entrepreneur working jointly in technology innovation and addiction recovery, holding her license as an alcohol and drug counselor (LADC) in Minnesota.

While you have every right to feel discouraged, rechannel your frustrations into these constructive acts instead. Continue Reading

person grieving over a loved one

3 Things I Wish I Told My Loved One in Active Addiction

By Toshia Humphries Toshia Humphries is a Texan freelance writer, artist, and life coach and possesses three degrees in counseling and psychology, focusing on addictions and women’s studies.

To anyone out there who has lost someone to this disease, whether in life or in the grave, I encourage you to speak the words y... Continue Reading

The #1 Lie Loved Ones of Addicts Believe About Themselves

By Toshia Humphries Toshia Humphries is a Texan freelance writer, artist, and life coach and possesses three degrees in counseling and psychology, focusing on addictions and women’s studies.

It is a lie they may tell themselves and believe from the start—a destructive force detrimental to loved ones and addicts alike. Continue Reading

man consoling his grieving friend

3 Ways to Support a Friend Who Has Lost Someone to Addiction

By Rebecca Kovacs

One of the most painful aspects of addiction is that it can end in death. What do we do to help out a friend who is going throu... Continue Reading

I Learned About Addiction in the Worst Way Possible

By Caitlin Thiede

Loving an addict comes with pain, guilt and fear. Over time, your existence becomes a limbo between hope and disappointment. Continue Reading

family

How to Stay Sober When a Family Member is Addicted

By Rebecca Kovacs

Staying sober when a family member is addicted isn't impossible. It only means we have different work to do and situations to a... Continue Reading

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