What does healthy recovery look like?

Some of you may not know this, but I don’t just help people struggling with addiction; I also help their loved ones because I understand this side of the equation too. The questions I get asked the most are, “How will I know if my loved one has recovered?” Followed by, “Should I Stay?” <—More on that question next week.

These are challenging for me to answer. Not because I don’t know the signs of a healthy recovery, but because people generally don’t like to hear, “Well, we’re never ‘recovered,’ we’re always going to be in recovery and a work in progress.” People are a bit more optimistic when I explain that with a good, healthy recovery that is worked every single day, we can stay clean and emotionally sober.

Those of us in recovery and healing will have different journeys. Just like we have unique fingerprints, we have unique brains, and that means many of us - not all - will have setbacks (using and emotionally) and relapses before we find long-lasting sobriety. The same is true for loved ones on their journeys to healing. Our recovery and healing aren’t linear. We’ll have peaks and valleys. It’s what we do while we’re in those valleys that determine how things will be moving forward. Do we learn and grow or do we wallow in pity and shame?

The person struggling defines what sobriety looks like for them. I described mine in the Three Circles post. It may change and evolve over time, but the only person who can define it, is the person experiencing it.

I’ll be the first to admit that when my husband was going through his struggle with SLA, initially, I was not as compassionate as I should’ve been because of betrayal trauma. It took time to wrap my head around everything and realize that I had to give him the grace I would anyone else struggling with any other addiction. But that’s a story for another day.

I bring this up because I had to understand he was the only one who could define his bottom lines. I couldn’t get inside his mind and make those decisions for him. I would’ve loved the opportunity then, but it wasn’t my place.

It was my choice whether to accept his bottom lines or not. The same holds true for his recovery. He can define it any way he wants; if I don’t like it, I’m free to leave.

Does that sound harsh? Probably. Does it sound like a couple working together as a team? Probably not. Although we were a team, we were learning not to be enmeshed with each other. We applied The Concept of Us method.

Because when it comes to addiction, recovery, and healing, there must be well-defined, clear boundaries.

What Does A Healthy Recovery Look Like?

One of the best ways to know if your loved one is in a healthy recovery is by communicating in a healthy way. Doing this with a scheduled check-in conversation can be helpful. Keep them between fifteen and thirty minutes and do them a few times a week.

This is a safe space to share, connect, and talk about recovery and healing. There’s no yelling, name-calling, indignation, gaslighting, or disrespectfulness. This is a place for open and honest communication.

You can use this acronym to help guide you: P.L.A.N

Plan: Things that have been done in the addict’s recovery plan. Be mindful that specifics don’t need to be shared, but they may share things like attending a meeting, seeing a life coach, etc.

If there has been a setback, and you’ve agreed to share about it, this is a safe space to talk about it without judgment or shame. They can share their plans moving forward, and the partner can share the consequences, if any. A word of caution, sometimes sharing a setback may cause the partner anxiety, so this may not be a good idea for everyone. The addict should have an accountability partner, and the loved one is not it.

This is also an opportunity for the loved to share about their healing progress, and any setbacks they’ve experienced.

Love: Express something you love and appreciate about each other.

Apology: This is a great time to apologize for anything that was done since the last time you sat down and talked to each other: passive-aggressiveness, rug-sweeping, ignoring, yelling, etc.

Needs: Each person will share a need, such as better communication or personal time to journal, etc.

Open and honest communication is another sign of a healthy recovery. There will be no more secrets. In the words of Dr. Phil, “Those who have nothing to hide, hide nothing.” They’ll also be more accountable when they’ve made a mistake. You’ll notice the longer they’re in recovery, the less blaming and victim mentality will happen.

You’ll also notice connection. One of my favorite sayings, I know, I have so many, is “The opposite of addiction is connection.” It’s true. When we’re active in our addiction we love to hide and isolate. Even when we’re getting high with other addicts, we’re still in our own heads…isolating.

So, you’ll notice your loved one participating in family events, going to recovery groups, counseling, etc. They’ll be excited about it, even when it’s challenging.

They may start volunteering and giving back to their program or support group. They’ll start pursuing healthy hobbies like exercise, bird watching, gardening, kickboxing, and other things to help them keep their mind active.

The big one is emotional sobriety. This takes time. I wish we could wave a magic wand, and it just happened, but it doesn’t. It can help to remember that you loved one’s addiction didn’t happen overnight, and neither will their recovery. But you’ll notice that they aren’t as quick to anger, there aren’t mood swings, they’re learning about gratitude and how to process emotions in a healthy way. These are all great indicators of a healthy recovery.

What Does A Potential Setback Look Like?

If you start noticing things like anger, defensiveness, and secrecy, it’s time for you to check in with your loved one and ask if they are okay in their recovery.

There are times when we may get on a slippery slope and do things, like risky behaviors, to get that “rush” and to “feel alive” even though we’re not using. I remember one time, I was speeding in my car, driving recklessly. We went to an amusement park, and I was trying to loosen the straps on a rollercoaster, just a bit, so I could feel like I was falling out of my seat when it was going upside down. Sounds bananas, huh? I hadn’t found emotional sobriety and didn’t know how to process emotions, where to put them, and didn’t want to use, so I did the next best thing – tried getting a dopamine rush through fear. Made sense in my head at the time.

When we’re not in an emotionally good place, the ones closest to us can usually spot it quickly.

When your loved one starts isolating, no longer doing their hobbies, attending their support groups, or reaching out to others, they’ve either had a setback, or they’re on the verge of one.

If you’re concerned, the best approach is love and empathy. There is always hope when it comes addiction. If you have any questions, please let me know.

 If you have any questions, please let me know. I answer my emails, with no strings attached. I’m here to help!

 Sending everyone happy and healthy vibes,

Laura