EP 50: How to Support a substance user Without Using Tough Love or Rock Bottom

Family Support In Addiction Recovery : Substance Abuse Disorder Tools Beyond Al- Anon

NEW Announcement: Family Support Listeners Get 30% off every one-to-one support session with Paul King & Wendy Brewer. Finally get the care & help you need to navigate a loved one's addiction. familyhopesupport.com

Is “tough love” really helping your loved one recover — or making things worse?

If you’ve ever been told to cut off a struggling family member in the name of “tough love,” you’re not alone — but this approach could be pushing them further into danger instead of toward healing. In this episode, Kate Duffy, a seasoned family substance use expert, unpacks why this outdated advice often backfires and reveals a more compassionate and effective way to support recovery without losing yourself in the process.

• Learn why “rock bottom” is a dangerous myth and how waiting for it can cost lives.
• Understand how to replace harmful “tough love” with compassionate boundaries that protect you and truly help your loved one.
• Discover practical first steps to regain your calm, stop the chaos, and support recovery more effectively.

Tune in now to find out how you can stop feeling helpless and start creating real change for your family today.

Discover more about Kate Duffy and her compassionate approach to family recovery at Tipping Point Recovery

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Loving someone with a drug or alcohol problem can feel exhausting — the worry, the guilt, the fear, the sleepless nights. It wears you down.

At Family Hope Support, Wendy Brewer and Paul King offer combined one-to-one support sessions grounded in counselling insight and lived experience. Finally get the care & help you need to navigate a loved one's addiction. 🎉: Family Support Listeners Get 30% off every one-to-one support session — use code FAMILYHOPE at checkout.

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This podcast provides practical guidance and support for families navigating the challenges of substance abuse disorder, offering insights from addiction recovery experts, family therapy, and support groups like Al-Anon and Family Drug Support, with a focus on understanding how to help and support loved ones dealing with addiction, including heroin addiction, through counselling and treatment options.

DISCLAIMER

Every family is different — if you’re supporting someone through addiction, please make decisions that are right for you, ideally in consultation with qualified professionals and appropriate support networks.