Are You Helping—Or Just Making Things Worse?
When it comes to setting boundaries with someone in addiction, it’s not always easy to tell the difference between being in control… and being controlling.
Addressing a substance use issue with a loved one—whether it’s a spouse, a child, or even a parent—can be one of the most difficult challenges a family may ever face. And one of the hardest parts? Boundaries. Knowing what you can control, what you can’t, and whether your efforts are helping… or quietly making things worse.
Like the frogs boiling in water and not realizing what’s happening to them, a similar dynamic occurs in the addictive family system. Family members don’t realize how their behavior adapts over time to maintain balance within the system—despite the fact that it’s becoming increasingly dysfunctional. That’s where terms like “walking on eggshells,” or “don’t rock the boat” become painfully familiar. Some become enmeshed and become enablers, some detach and create an air of anger and shame. And anything in between.
The video above is a preview of my online family eduction course called RehabWorks. The premise of RehabWorks is that treatment outcomes can be dramatically improved through effective family support. In this section, the family learns how to set healthy boundaries, and how in turn, this actually becomes one of the best things families can do to have a positive impact on treatment.
🌀 Let’s Talk
Have you had any experience of supporting a loved one with a substance use issue? If so, what were the biggest challenges for you?
Have you ever struggled with recognizing the difference between being in control, versus being controlling ? How do you tell the difference?
Have you ever had the experience of trying to be helpful, only to begin to wonder if you had in fact been contributing the problem?
RESOURCES
Loved one in treatment?
Just taking the first steps in addressing a potential problem?
I specialize in helping families navigate the road to successful recovery for a loved one. I’d love to be able to help you—I have lots of free resources as well as online courses and family coaching programs.
FREE GUIDE: 5 Steps To Family Recovery: From Codependency To Peace Of Mind
LEARN MORE 👉 RehabWorks Family Coaching Program
Ready to talk? Click below to schedule a free consultation.
