So after drug or alcohol rehab, if you have experienced some discrimination and completed the steps we last discussed, you are ready for the next step:

Managing Discrimination in Your Family

Step 2: Meeting your family
When the time is right, ask your family about the problems they have had with your addiction.
Remember, you are doing this to understand their concerns not defend yourself.
Work to create a connection with your family by listening attentively to what they have to say. This may include their anger or sadness or other strong emotions.
Show respect for their feelings by listening attentively.
Your task is to understand them first before you can be understood.

Step 3: Acceptance
Affirm what your family is saying by acknowledging their right to their feelings.
Acceptance does not mean you agree with what they tell you, it means you accept they have a right to their feelings.
Acceptance is shown through a genuine demonstration that you understand that they have been disappointed, angry or sad.
If they have helped you, tell them how important this has been to your recovery.
Doing this will help to re-establish for them their importance in your life.

Step 4: Sharing Knowledge
Tell your family about your experience at the drug or alcohol rehab you went to
Tell them what you learned about addiction, communication, relapse prevention etc.
Show them other materials that demonstrate the depth of your education. Some of these will be personal so use your judgment about what to let them see.
Tell them about your plans for a new life including your plans for managing emotions, work, school, exercise etc.
Tell them your plan for managing any slips and returning quickly to a lifestyle of abstinence.
Show them you did your homework while you were in drug rehab, and your commitment statements you did while in rehab.

Remember, your family may need time to adjust to the new you. They may have doubts about your commitment to change. Show kindness and patience and give them time. It took you time to change in rehab and after rehab. Give them the same time.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 29th, 2005 at 7:11 pm and is filed under Drug Addiction, Drug Rehab. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.