Setting Healthy Family Boundaries in Addiction Recovery

During addiction recovery, it’s important to have healthy family boundaries. These boundaries make it easier for the person struggling with an addiction to recover. A family therapy program can help you and your family set healthy family boundaries in addiction recovery. 

Healthy family boundaries for one family may be different than for another. Still, they are similar in that they support the family member with an addiction and are not counter-productive to recovery.

Contact us at 833.514.0579 to learn about how to set healthy family boundaries.

Why Set Healthy Family Boundaries During Addiction Recovery?

First, family members must remember not to encourage or enable a person to remain addicted to a substance. Setting boundaries can make that possible. 

Often, relationships have been damaged through the words and actions of the person struggling with addiction. Boundaries are how family members can create new, healthy relationships. When boundaries are weak, it’s more likely that the person with an addiction could manipulate the family for money or other needs. Inadequate or non-existent boundaries could also invite criticism or judgment of the struggling family member and hamper their chances of recovery.

How Do Family Members Know They Need Boundaries?

To tell if your family needs boundaries, look at how you speak with your loved one with an addiction. Do you:

• Criticize them.
• Lie to cover up their mistakes.
• Give them money or have money stolen from you.
• Try to guilt-trip the other person.
• Tell them what to do and warn them of what will happen if they don’t comply.
• Walk on eggshells hoping you won’t get into an argument or fight.

These are all signs that boundaries need to be set.

How Can Someone In Recovery Know When They Need to Set Boundaries?

Boundaries are helpful for people in recovery as well. It’s important to set boundaries if being in touch with others, like friends or family, harms their recovery. 

For example, if they know that their friends do not support their recovery and will continue to use around them, now may be the time to limit contact. Similarly, if being around family will cause strife or discord, it may be better to limit contact until a later date. Anxiety and depression are often catalysts for relapse.

How to Set Healthy Family Boundaries 

How can you establish healthy boundaries? There are things families and individuals can do. 

Family Boundaries

Families should set healthy boundaries as soon as possible. This includes setting boundaries such as:

1. No drugs or alcohol in the home
2. No borrowing or stealing money
3. Refusing to bail out the addicted party if they are arrested or imprisoned
4. Refusing to put up with insults
5. Refusing to lie on the other person’s behalf

These new boundaries should come with repercussions if they’re broken. For example, the family could say they will no longer have contact with the individual until they’ve completed recovery if they steal from them again. 

Boundaries During Recovery

If you are in recovery, then there are boundaries you should set for yourself as well. When you’re looking at how to set healthy family boundaries, remember that you should:

• Ask that others don’t smoke, drink, or do drugs around you
• Do not insult you or put you down for the past or for trying to change your life
• Refuse to allow drug- or alcohol-addicted friends into your home

Setting boundaries can help you get into a better position in recovery. Knowing that you’re surrounded by people who care matters. 

Contact Avedis Recovery for Help Setting Boundaries

Whether you or someone you love is recovering, having boundaries is essential. Contact us at Avedis Recovery today 833.514.0579 to learn more about setting boundaries.