Watching your loved one struggle with an addiction can seriously break your heart. You may feel as though you want to pull away from the situation because of how upset you are. However, now is the time to offer the utmost support to your loved one while they are working to improve their own life. Doing so might seem quite difficult, but taking this step is truly possible. Here are five ways you can best offer love and assistance to someone working through addiction recovery.

1. Offer Genuine Support

When you’re letting your loved one know that you are there to offer support, do not throw out tired platitudes. You don’t want to merely repeat empty phrases. Let your loved one know that you are truly there when needed. You may even have the ability to speak with a counselor at the treatment facility to find the right approach to take in the specific situation that your loved one is in. Speak from the heart and let them know that you want to be the kind of person they can lean on when they need it.

2. Provide Space When Needed

You might feel eager to connect with your loved one as often as possible. However, do remember that people need some space when they are in an addiction treatment center. You need to provide individuals with the time to meet with their therapists and to explore treatment options. Constantly calling, texting, or visiting can interrupt that journey and prevent them from having time to form their own thoughts and work on their own healing.

3. Discuss Routine Topics Too

During interactions with your loved one, you might feel tempted to focus solely on treatment and recovery. Remember that your loved one likely wants to discuss routine topics too. For example, if your relative or friend loves sports, consider talking about how a particular sports team is doing. You want this person to know that you are still there for them on a human level too and that your relationship with them is something they can count on.

4. Encourage Healthy Pursuits

Your relative or friend is likely to learn about some healthy pursuits during the time in treatment. Some treatment facilities might encourage participants to pursue the arts, and others might bring in athletic activities as a way to release stress. Continue to encourage your loved one to participate in these activities even after the end of the stay at the treatment facility. If it would be helpful, offer to do some healthy activities together, like joining a gym or some kind of local community sports league.

5. Provide Continued Support

After your loved one leaves the treatment facility, continue to provide support. You don’t want to act suspicious of every move that your loved one makes. On the other hand, you do want to notice if issues with substance abuse begin to happen again. Learning how to maintain a balance is important.

You might not think that you play much of a role in your loved one’s addiction recovery. However, the fact is that you can play a significant role.