“I need to learn how to help my wife in recovery.” It’s a question that the mental health and addiction specialists at Lakeview Health receive a lot. Drug and alcohol addiction, especially paired with mental health disorders, can be very toxic to a relationship. You may feel overwhelmed with what you must do to protect your loved one’s future while not alienating them. Your first step is to reach out to a trusted treatment center like Lakeview Health. Let us provide you with the support you need. Through our family support program, you are able to learn how to best support your wife through her journey while also feeling supported yourself. Our family therapy program allows you to talk with your wife in a respectful and comfortable environment and ask her what she needs from you through her recovery. The two of you are able to make a plan for moving forward and you learn how to best help your wife in recovery.

Getting Initial Help for a Spouse

If you have been wondering how to help your wife in recovery, the first step is getting treatment. If your wife is struggling with drugs and alcohol, she may be unable to stop using on her own. This is very common. It occurs as addiction and tolerance develop. A person may feel as though they want to stop, but they may be unable to do so due to things like intense cravings, painful withdrawal, or an underlying mental condition that is fueling their substance use. When this happens, they need treatment.

Our team at Lakeview Health can provide support. We offer a range of addiction treatment programs that can help people to recover. Among these are:

• Women’s drug detox
• Residential drug treatment
• Intensive outpatient treatment
• Partial hospitalization programs
• Dual diagnosis treatment

Once your loved one comes to us and works through the addiction treatment program or programs that are the best fit, we can then provide aftercare treatment. This is a type of supportive experience where your loved one will work closely with a team to prevent relapse.

How to Help My Wife in Recovery After Treatment

Once your wife enters a treatment program like the one at Lakeview Health, she will experience some distinct benefits. She will better understand her addiction issues. She will no longer be dependent on drugs or alcohol to function. She will also be empowered to heal. There are many things you can do to help her be successful in recovery. These include but are not limited to:

• Providing mental support: Provide your loved one with encouragement and motivation. Recognize that she will have stress and struggles during recovery and work towards communicating so that you can work on solving problems.
• Letting her talk to you: If you have not gone through drug and alcohol addiction and treatment, you cannot understand what this disease can do to a person. Know that your wife needs someone to talk to who does not judge her. Try to refrain from telling her what to do.
• Ensuring that she has access to a mentor: Because this type of addiction can be long-lasting, there is a risk of relapse at any time. Having a mentor or someone who has gone through treatment can help a person through recovery.
• Not waiting for old habits to come back: Addiction changes a person. While you may wish for your loved one to be like she was years ago, she cannot continue to be that person. Instead, work with her to build a new future based on the present. Don’t pressure her to be someone she is not.
• Encouraging her: Be there to support the changes she needs to make. Work with your wife to accomplish new things. Focus on new experiences and opportunities. The more you encourage her, the better she will feel.

If you are asking yourself, “How can I learn how to help my wife in recovery?” you are already ready to support your wife through this challenge.

Explore Treatment Options at Lakeview Health Today

Is it time to learn how to help your wife in recovery? The decision to get her help is not an easy one. Our team at Lakeview Health offers the supportive team and structured program you need to help you through this process. Contact Lakeview Health to learn more.