Knowing Your Limits

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If you have a loved one that is stuck in the cycle addiction and struggling to establish or maintain sobriety, chances are this cycle is affecting your well-being as well.  Below is some information on how to begin to reflect on your limits so you are able to better take care of yourself.

Boundaries

Limits can be thought of as boundaries or personal thresholds that determine your physical and emotional well-being in your interactions with other people. Limits are the lines between what you deem acceptable and unacceptable, between what you feel you can and cannot handle in a relationship. At times, helping a loved one cope with a substance abuse problem can stretch a person far beyond their limits without them even realizing it.

Sometimes it can be difficult to know what are limits are, and at times it can feel like our limits change from day-to-day. Below are some questions to consider to help you identify your limits:

  • Do you find yourself doing or saying things in the moment that later you regret?
  • Do you notice feelings of tension, resentment, or frustration building up when dealing with your loved one?
  • Are you acting in ways that do not match the internal image of how you picture yourself?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be living beyond your limits, telling yourself you can handle more than you reasonably can. Sometimes our efforts to help our loved ones can stretch us so thin and cause us to be less helpful to them in the long run. This process is sometimes referred to as enabling, where we remove natural consequences of our loved ones behaviors, which cause them to not feel the negative effects that their unhealthy behaviors are having on them.

In the long run, the best to way to help our loved ones suffering from addiction is to ensure we are maintaining healthy boundaries and caring for ourselves. Because this can be hard, our own therapy is often beneficial. Club Recovery has psychologists on staff who specialize in supporting the family members and loved ones of those struggling with addiction. Please give us a call if you would like to find out more about these services.

 

Source: “Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change”


Disclaimer: All content on this website is for informational purposes only. It does not substitute for clinical treatment or advice. If you, a friend, or a family member is struggling with mental health and/or addiction issues please call our main office at 952-926-2526. For emergencies, go to your nearest emergency room and/or dial 911.