Forgiving a person who has been addicted to drugs can be very hard. You may feel that they have taken advantage of you and the love that you had for them. They may have made promises to change but then broken those promises time and time again. It is not easy to trust someone who has betrayed your trust so many times before. If you are struggling with forgiving someone in this situation, here are some tips on how you can find forgiveness:
1. Talk About It with Someone Else
When you find yourself struggling to forgive someone who is a recovering drug addict, talking about your struggles with another person may be helpful. This could be someone that you trust or even a therapist. Sharing your feelings can help you get them out in the open, making it easier for you to move forward with forgiving this person.
2. Think About What They have Done Since They Left Treatment
One of the best ways to forgive someone who is a recovering drug addict is by thinking about their actions after leaving treatment or rehabilitation. Perhaps they are attending group meetings regularly and spending time each week with an addiction counselor. Maybe they are focusing on taking care of themselves and improving their physical health. If this person has changed their life, this can be a sign that they are committed to staying clean and sober.
3. Don’t Forget About Yourself
It is essential for you not to neglect your feelings when it comes to forgiving someone addicted to drugs. You may need time to grieve for the loss of your relationship, or perhaps you feel like you have lost part of your family with this person getting treatment. It is okay for you to take some time by yourself during this process to get these feelings out. Forgiving another person does not necessarily mean forgetting what happened, but instead learning how to move on from the past, so it no longer holds power over you.
4. Be Realistic About Their Recovery
If this person has a history of relapse, you may need to be patient with their recovery process. Try not to set too many expectations for them as they may disappoint you very quickly if they cannot meet these expectations. You can still offer your support and encouragement, but try not to make it all about the recovery. It is also essential that you avoid allowing yourself to hope that they will get clean and remain sober, only for them to relapse later after time passes by.
5. Work on Forgiving Yourself
Along with working on forgiving the recovering addict in your life, it is also essential for you to forgive yourself. You may feel guilty or ashamed for allowing someone so close to you to become addicted to drugs. You may feel like it is your fault, but this is untrue. It takes two people to make a relationship work, and when one person changes dramatically, the other partner needs to be prepared to deal with these changes. You cannot control another person; therefore, you need to forgive yourself for not knowing how to care for someone who has an addiction problem.
6. Create Boundaries
You do not have to completely open up all of your time and energy into helping this person recover from their drug addiction. If they want space, then give them some space so that they can focus on getting better without feeling suffocated by you constantly asking them how they are doing or if they are clean. Decide what boundaries you are willing to cross and which ones you do not want to transgress. You can also talk to a therapist or addiction counselor about your limits if you feel that they are unclear to you.
7. Avoid Enabling Them Again in the Future
Before you find yourself in this situation again, make sure that you stand firm when it comes to getting professional help for your addiction. It is essential not to enable them anymore because doing so will only hurt you in the long run. If they relapse, remember your boundaries and realize that this may be something they need to go through on their own to learn from it. Do not punish them by cutting off contact; however, standing behind your boundaries and waiting until they figure out how things should move forward can go a long way.
Conclusion
Forgiving someone who is addicted to drugs can be tough. It may seem like they are not trying or that they do not want to get better. However, if this person is committed to their recovery, then it is possible for you also forgive them. It takes time and hard work; however, it does happen in most cases. Forgiving this person does not excuse their past actions, but it can allow you to move forward with them in the future. This person may learn from what they have done, thus making your relationship stronger than ever. You can work together as a team so that both of you are being held accountable for every action taken. Are you ready to get started? Call us on 833-846-5669 now.