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Addiction Recovery Blog

How to Help Your Recovering Loved One During Social Distancing

A woman video chatting at home with a loved one in recovery.

Through their own effort and willpower, your loved one was able to overcome their drug or alcohol addiction and reach recovery. They’ve even built their own daily routine to maintain their recovery, starting their day a tea shop where they see and socialize with the same people. Then it’s off to a support meeting later in the day before heading to the gym for a workout.

But the coronavirus (COVID-19) has brought that routine to a grinding halt. Having to practice social distancing can be a shock for someone who is new to recovery. There’s no question that this pandemic is having an effect on people from all walks of life across the country. You’ve had to make compromises and adjustments of your own. However, you’re worried about your loved one in recovery.

You want to help your loved one during this challenging time in recovery. The only issue is, you’re not sure how. In this post, we’ll share some of the ways you can help your loved one stay on the path to lasting sobriety.

5 Ways to Keep Your Loved One from Relapsing

It’s too painful to imagine your loved one going through another battle with substance abuse. While your loved one is making progress in their recovery, you’re worried about the impact of social distancing. At the end of the day, your loved one is responsible for their recovery, but you can help them stay on that path.

Here are some ideas that can help your loved one cope with social distancing and keep their recovery moving forward.

1. Set Up Regular Phone Calls or Video Chats

Having a set schedule or routine is beneficial for addiction recovery. Even though many businesses and support meetings are shutdown, that doesn’t mean you can’t create a point of stability for your loved one. Get them on the phone and talk through your schedules. Your goal is to set up a couple times a week where you can regularly touch base. Weekly talks will help your loved one rebuild the weekly routines that are the foundation of their recovery. Plus, it’s a great way for both of you to get some social interaction.

2. Learn Something New Together

When you’re in recovery, keeping your mind active is important. Talk to your loved one and see if there’s a skill or something new they want to learn. And by joining in yourself, your loved one will be more motivated to keep working this new goal. Whether it’s a new language or taking up painting, your loved one benefits from the sense of accomplishment that comes with learning a new skill.

3. Help Your Loved One Foster or Adopt a Dog

Did you know that having a dog comes with a variety of health benefits? Just petting a dog can help your loved one release endorphins and relax. If your loved one in recovery is having a hard time adjusting to social distancing, fostering or adopting a dog can be the perfect solution.

Having a dog will help keep your loved one busy with training. Going for walks with the dog will help your loved one exercise, and the bond that develops between them will help your loved one feel less isolated. And since many dog shelters and rescues are operating with less staff because of COVID-19, there are plenty of dogs who need a good home.

Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that taking care of a dog is a lot of responsibility. If your loved one isn’t quite ready for this level of accountability yet, that’s okay. Instead, let them dog-sit your own dog if you have one, or encourage them to contact local shelters to inquire about volunteer opportunities.

4. Encourage Them to Participate in Virtual Recovery Meetings

Just because social distancing has closed down some major parts of our communities, doesn’t mean your loved one has to stop attending meetings. In the wake of COVID-19, there has been a huge surge in online recovery meetings. Encourage your loved one to check out In The Rooms or LifeRing for regular virtual meetings that they can join. Being part of virtual meetings can help them keep parts of their normal recovery routine alive.

5. Remind Your Loved One to Enjoy the Outdoors

As social distancing and stay-at-home orders continue to be the new normal, it’s easy for any one of us to go stir-crazy. It’s important to remind your loved one to get outside when the weather allows it. You’ll both be surprised at how relaxing a dose of fresh air can be. You can even look up hiking trails and parks to explore in your loved one’s area. That way, when you recommend spending time outdoors, you’ll have some great recommendation to follow up with.

Hope for a Brighter Future is Waiting at Footprints Beachside Recovery

Going through recovery can be challenging, and that’s before all the added complications of social distancing. If you’re afraid that your loved one is going to relapse or they already have, Footprints Beachside Recovery is here to help. Our boutique addiction recovery center in Florida takes a holistic approach to drug and alcohol treatment.

We know what your loved one is going through because we’ve been there ourselves. By creating a personalized treatment program for your loved one, we can help them build a life they are proud of.

Your loved one has the courage to change their life. They just need some guidance to help them get there. Contact our expert team today to help your loved one recover from addiction and regain a healthy, fulfilling life.