When someone is codependent, it means that they are completely influenced by another person’s behavior. This can be to the extent where they try and control their actions which is usually for the best intentions. However, many people with addiction are also involved in codependent relationships which can serve to make their problems much worse.

When someone has been through the challenges of rehab from addiction, they still have work to do when they return home. Rebuilding relationships with family and loved ones is an important part of addiction recovery and allows people to sustain sobriety for the long-term with their support. Healthy relationships are an important aspect of life for all of us and can include family, professional, romantic and social connections.

Watching a loved one destroy their lives through drug or alcohol abuse can be extremely painful. However, understanding how addiction illness affects a person’s behavior can go some way to making it easier to find the right treatment. Addiction is characterized by an uncontrollable compulsion to abuse substances. The sufferer will be unable to quit using drugs or alcohol despite the extensive damage it may be doing to their lives.

Unfortunately, substance use disorder is an illness that is sweeping the nation, largely due to the rising number of people taking opiate-based prescription drugs. However, our understanding of addiction as an illness is better than ever before and there are now numerous ways for people struggling to cope to get the treatment they need.

When someone has been struggling with addiction issues, they will generally have become distanced from loved ones and more interested in new people associated with their substance abuse. This can not only lead to damage to close personal relationships but also to someone fighting addiction being “enabled” to continue.

Dependency can be reliance on a substance, activity or person where an individual treats something or someone as more important than themselves.

When someone is recovering after treatment for addiction, keeping a journal can be an effective tool to keep them healthy. In fact, many people working in the addiction field believe journaling to be the cheapest form of therapy and a catalyst for positive change.

Dependency can be reliance on a substance, activity or person where an individual treats something or someone as more important than themselves.

As evidenced by the millions of people all over the world sharing their lives with pets, the bond humans have with animals is widely considered life-enhancing. It’s perhaps no surprise that animals can have huge benefits for someone going through alcohol and drug detox and that animal-assisted therapy in recovery is becoming more commonplace.

When someone is struggling with addiction issues, they are not the only ones to suffer the consequences. Family members are also plunged into feelings of pain, fear, loss and weariness and everyone close to the addict is affected. Learning how to live with an addict can be difficult because it requires knowing the difference between helping their suffering and enabling their addiction.