Congratulations, you've recently reached recovery. Now, you may be facing the daunting task of repairing your relationships, including those with your children. So, what do you do? How do you begin to heal relationships with children after you return from rehab?
It's hard to say what your journey of repairing your relationships will look like. After all, everyone's situation is unique. However, there are some things you can do, regardless of the circumstances, you're going back into.
Let's talk about ways to heal your relationships with your children after rehab.
There are many ways you can work on healing your relationships after rehab. One of the first things you can do is begin a new pattern of intentional, honest communication. For example, your children will likely need to hear you say you're sorry. Next, they'll need you to let them use their voice to express their feelings and pain. This may be rather difficult to hear and handle, and it could also be triggering. However, it's a necessary component of their healing process and maybe yours too. Therefore, it may be a good idea to prepare with a therapist before and after you hold this family discussion.
Remember, as you work to repair your relationships with your children, trust will be crucial to their healing. Rebuilding trust takes time, transparency, and action. Likewise, the amount of time it takes to trust again can vary from person to person and child to child. Open communication and quick follow-through can help restore trust in relationships. Although you cannot force them to trust you, continuing to show your children that it's safe to trust you can work. However, this process may take a long time and requires patience along the way.
A fun way to work on healing your relationships with your children is to invite them to take part in activities that also help you maintain sobriety. For example, if you identified exercise as a stress reducer, ask your children to be active with you every day. Likewise, if you meditate every morning or night, you could have them join you. Having your children be actively involved in your recovery plan can be a great way to bond and, at the same time, help you with relapse prevention.
Of course, after rehab, repairing your relationships with your children and spouse is where you'll want to focus. However, an essential component of their healing will be for you to maintain your sobriety. So, it's vital that your relapse prevention plan remains your priority. This includes being aware of stressors and doing whatever it takes to overcome triggers. By attending groups or therapy sessions, you're showing your family that you've made changes and plan on keeping them.
Now that you're in recovery, it's easy to want everyone to move forward. However, your family's pain may still be too raw to do so. In the meantime, the best thing you can do is to do everything it takes to maintain recovery and offer patience and transparency along the way.
At Paradise Creek Recovery Center, we understand the challenges that arise after you leave treatment. Likewise, we know how vital relationships are to maintaining recovery. As such, we work to ensure you have the tools you need to succeed. For example, we work with families and hold sessions over the phone or computer while you're in rehab. We want to help you recover life in every possible aspect.
Visit our website today to learn more.
