Building Strong and Lasting Relationships: The Habitual Approach
We have all been in a dark place when we are feeling lonely and at our lowest. Those moments don't last forever, but it can be hard to claw your way back out of the hole you find yourself in. The key is to provide yourself with a support system to help you get through those darker times so that you don't end up losing lasting relationships with any friends and family members because of them. This blog post will guide you on how to handle developing a strong support system, as well as some ways to proactively maintain it by using habits that promote healthy relationships.
Losing a friend is one of the most difficult parts of life. Even when you know they are doing poorly, it's hard to completely understand the direction of their life until you hear about it either directly or indirectly. The thing with human nature is that we tend to judge people too quickly and often without making an effort to understand them. Unfortunately, this means that we can sometimes end up making a bad decision when we choose not to stick by our friends during tough times, and if they are in a dark place for longer than they should be, it's much harder for them to get on the road to recovery. If you are able to recognize this pattern and don't want to lose the people you care about, it's time to build a stronger support network for them.
What keeps our support system from being strong is that people tend to pull away when things get hard. In some cases, this is out of a desire to not deal with the drama and other negative aspects that come with complicated situations. However, in cases where there are no complications present, it's usually because of other issues rather than apathy. People tend to feel uncomfortable or ill at ease during difficult times because they don't know how best to help someone or aren't sure what they can do in that particular situation. The fact is that there is never a set script for how to handle situations, which can make it difficult to overcome the lack of knowledge and find a way to help without crossing any boundaries.
As uncomfortable as the situation may be, you have to remember that your friends are counting on you for support. This means that you have to go into the situation with a positive attitude and find ways to be helpful in whatever way you can. If they are going through something tough and aren't willing or able to talk about it, just try being generally supportive towards them. Ask them if they want to talk about it or if you can bring up little details, but don't push them to talk. Just be there for them in the moment and they will recognize your help as something that can make a difference.
If you do find yourself in a situation where you feel like you have no idea what to say or do, here are some tips on how to stay strong:
Be Patient – It takes a lot of time, control, and effort for someone's issues with alcohol addiction to get worse, so it will take even more energy and effort on your part for them to get better. If you need to vent your frustrations to someone, try doing it with a close friend or family member so that it doesn't add onto the stress that they already have. Whatever you do, do not take out your frustrations on them because this will only make things worse and likely result in you breaking off your relationship permanently.
Be Positive – It's easy to get overly concerned about a situation when someone we care about is hurting. This concern can manifest itself as negative thoughts, which can make you feel down or gloomy. Instead of overthinking everything and causing yourself more stress, try taking control of your thoughts by being positive as often as possible. Think about how much you enjoy having your friend or family member in your life and focus on those positive feelings. If you find yourself stuck on a negative thought, distract yourself with something else and come back to it later.
By being positive, you will be able to maintain a healthy mindset that will allow you to stay strong for your friends when they need it the most.
Reach Out – There are many ways for you to take an active role in helping your loved ones get the support they need. One of the best ways is by reaching out and educating yourself on how to handle alcoholism better. You can do this by talking to professionals about your loved one's addiction and its consequences, reading up on how to recognize the signs of alcoholism, and joining online communities and support groups. By educating yourself about the most common ways of dealing with alcoholism, you will be able to better understand what is going on with your loved one and know what to expect in the future. This will make their road to recovery much smoother because you will be able to fully understand what they are going through.
If you have friends who have gone through a similar experience, there are many ways for them to help as well:
Share Your Experience – Your struggles are unique only to your situation. By talking about your experiences, you will be able to provide your friend with a perspective that may not have occurred to them. You don't have to talk about it publicly, but you can tell one of their other close friends or family members and ask them to pass the message along.
Provide Support – The biggest part of supporting someone is being there for them when they need it. You want them to know that they are not struggling alone and that there are people in their life who are here for them no matter what. Let your friend know that you are here for them for as long as they need support so they aren't afraid to reach out when they need it the most.
Give Encouragement – Recovery is one of the hardest things you can ask of someone. They have to admit the problem and work continuously to overcome it. This is not an easy feat and it can take a toll on someone's mental state. It's important to give them encouragement when they are going through rough patches so they don't lose hope. You can do this by telling them that they have made progress in their recovery or pointing out specific moments where they seem happier than before. This will make it easier for them to deal with how difficult everything is and allow them to keep moving forward.
In today's world, it is easier than ever for you to build a support network for yourself or your friends who struggle with alcoholism.
Conclusion
Alcoholism is a serious problem that must be taken seriously. It's important to remember that the only way to conquer alcoholism is to take it one day at a time and to remember that each step along the way may feel hard the next. Your friends depend on you and are counting on you for support, so make sure you don't let them down. If you have any questions or would like any additional information, feel free to ask us and we will do our best to help you out! We hope that this article gave you ideas for how to respond if your friends are struggling with alcoholism.