Addiction takes a toll on several fronts. It usually takes a physical toll on the person who uses. It often takes a monetary toll on the person and even the family. It also exacts a toll in terms of harmed relationships. Recovery involves rebuilding health on all fronts where damage has been done, but repair doesn’t come evenly on every side.
The person who is still in the early stages of recovery is regaining physical health and wellness. Cessation from substance use and new, healthier living choices combine to restore the person physically. A healthier body frequently results in an improved mental or emotional outlook as well.
Similarly, whereas the person may once have been spending all their available cash to fund their addiction, recovery means that those finances are no longer being misdirected and monetary stability can be achieved. Some kind of positive progress can be seen relatively soon.
What usually takes longer is the work of rebuilding trust in damaged relationships. It’s important for the
person in recovery to realize that slow-forming trust is not the same thing as slowly granted forgiveness. Trust is a separate issue. Forgiveness is given but trust usually needs to be earned – and that takes time.
Just how much time will be needed to restore trust in a damaged relationship varies from person to person. The injured party has no reason to grant immediate trust. One expert has likened the distrust created by addiction to the building of a brick wall between two people. Repairing the trust is comparable to tearing down that wall brick by brick. It is a tedious but rewarding process.
Whatever side of the recovery road you are travelling, it helps to have support. Family Guidance can offer that support to people journeying out of addiction as well as the loved ones trying to give trust once more. Repairing damaged relationships takes work on both sides of the wall. Call Family Guidance today and get the support needed to stay committed to the job of bringing that wall down.
