Everything Changes: Help for Families of Newly Recovering Addicts

A relative or friend has finally taken those tentative first steps toward sobriety. With the relief of this life-changing course of action comes a new and difficult set of challenges for recovering addicts and those who love them. Family members and friends often find themselves unsure of how to weather such a dramatic turn, as the rules and routines of their relationships no longer pertain.

Everything Changes assuages fears and uncertainty by teaching loved ones of newly recovering addicts how to navigate the often-tumultuous early months of recovery. Beverly Conyers, author of the acclaimed Addict in the Family, again shares the hope and knowledge that she gained as a parent of a recovering addict by focusing on the aftermath of addiction. She outlines the physical and psychological changes that recovering addicts go through, and offers practical tools to help family members and friends:

build a fresh, rewarding relationship with the addict

be supportive without setting themselves up for disappointment

avoid enabling destructive behavior

set and maintain boundaries

cope with relapse

deal with the practicalities of sober living, such as helping the addict find a job

and deal with the stigma of addiction.