Preparation

The first thing to make sure of is that you have taken on board the following posts and are already practising the exercises in those posts

Whatever you do – do not attempt to carry out the Plan below unless you have begun to build up your recovery ‘muscles’ as outlined in those posts above.

Time Spent in Reconnaissance…

As part of your Plan of Action, continue to read up on Addiction and remember to practise all the self-care tips in the Recovery Toolbox section of this site. Take exercise and meditate.

The Plan for You can now begin …

Find Support

It’s vital to counteract the isolation that you have experienced due to living with Addiction. I’m not saying that you’ve become a hermit, but if your experience is anything like mine, you are feeling psychologically isolated right now.

You need understanding and emotional support; and you also need practical and moral support.

  • If you haven’t already done so – go to at least one Al-Anon meeting a week.
  • Enlist the help of a drugs counsellor or go to the support groups run by organisations like DrugFam or Adfam. (See professional-organisations-that-can-help-you  for info on these organisations)

Gather Your Team

Your team can include at least three or four of the following:

  • A sympathetic, non-judgemental relative, if you can find one.
  • A family friend
  • Your GP
  • A social worker (if they have become involved with your Addict)
  • A neighbour who is well-adjusted and robust (preferably not a gossip).
  • A counsellor
  • A professional interventionist (I will explain Intervention in a later post).

When you’re ready, move on to the next post in this series: Intervention – A Professional View