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How do You Trust Again?

annieunhooked March 11, 2019
Pussy Willow
When trust has been shattered, we often find ourselves wondering how to pick up the pieces and trust again. When we feel hurt by these violations, how is it possible to repair the bonds that have been broken? Annie Highwater shares her insights on the internal processes that have allowed her to move on when trust was violated.

*This post originally appeared on our Member Site blog, featuring guest authors like Annie Highwater, and where experts respond daily to members’ questions and concerns. To take advantage of our current special offer and get full access to the Allies in Recovery eLearning program for families, click here.

I’ve had my fair share of broken trust

Having had family members afflicted with addiction, I’m frequently asked how I have personally managed to put trust in them again, after being deceived or betrayed.

I certainly have standards for healthy, trustworthy relationships (even those that might be in fragile healing phases)… Yet I’m also mindful of boundaries regarding loyalty, respect, honesty and ownership. When it comes to broken trust, my response is to bring the work back to me.

I have stopped requiring trust to be rebuilt to the same degree it was broken. I don’t know that that’s possible. When I’m holding a measuring stick of expectations or time-frames, a heavy weight is placed upon everyone involved.

There is no set process or deadline for when things begin to feel safe again

When it comes to having trust shattered more than a few times, I have learned to tend to the areas violated. If a violation of trust is a wound inflicted on a boundary (whether that boundary is unspoken or explicitly clear), then regaining that trust is a matter of healing the wound.

Whatever the area that was violated, I know I must first reinforce and secure it. This is the work of repairing boundaries. For instance, I’m probably going to decrease access to things like my finances, valuables, time, or information that was once confided. If necessary, I will restrict access to my presence, when I need to guard my heart.

It’s time I tend to myself

I have learned that when trust has been broken, emotional damage occurs. I need to take time to rebuild myself. Allow myself to think, breathe, calm down, heal. I analyze what I missed, what I ignored, what I made excuses for, and where I may have left myself open to disappointment.

I focus on my sense of worth, and sharpen trust in my intuition. For a time, that takes priority for me.

I then set intentions to forgive and decide what the relationship looks like going forward.

Does it need time and distance? Do we need to have some hard conversations? Does the connection need be cut off?  For a time, or even permanently?

The answers depend on what I have envisioned is healthiest going forward.

(I try not to make these decisions when I am throbbing with emotion.)

Working on trusting myself

I’ve learned that more important than being able to trust my son, my family, my friends, my relationships, those I work with… and so on, is my need to be able to trust myself. When I am internally healthy and aware, I am less likely to deny intuition, or bypass warning signs. Trusting those instincts helps repair my relationships with others.

Not that they are off the hook. I just know that the majority of my work is usually within. This is the realm in which we really have the power to change.

Everyone will hurt and disappoint us at some point.

What I need to consider is how deep did they cut? What were their intentions? How honest and forthcoming were their amends?

It’s not my job to completely trust anyone or anything else — it’s my job to forgive them, to love them, and to secure the areas violated. I then must decide what areas of the relationship need to be addressed, changed, or ended.

It is a powerful process of healing to raise my self-respect and perception of value… this brings me to a place where I can sense signs of unhealthy dynamics. Working on that, I find, works out the rest.

In my Higher Power (and in myself) I am learning to trust,

Annie

Yes, the family DOES have a role to play. Your stance, behavior, and choices DO make a difference. At Allies in Recovery we are absolutely convinced of this. “Tough love” is not a successful technique. Our learning platform is set up to help family members learn the techniques that will reduce conflict, build that bridge of communication, and be effective in guiding your loved one into treatment. Together we will move your loved one towards recovery. Learn more here.

image © NickyPe via pixabay

Categories: Self-Care for the Family Member
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annieunhooked
I am the daughter as well as the mother of someone who has had struggles with narcotic pain medication following injuries. My son is five years in recovery, my mother is still prescribed these medications and abuses them. Her health, mindset and awareness are failing as a result. Substance abuse has been a part of my life ALL my life. I know the deep despair, confusion, frustration, and terror it causes a family. I also know that with proper care, kind, healthy support, information and effort we CAN recover and rise.

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Al-Anon, AlAnon, Allies in Recovery, Addiction, Dominique Simon-Levine, Dominique Simon Levine, CRAFT method, Family Treatment Program, Intervention, Intervention approach, Interventionist, SUD, Opiate, Opiods, Treatment, Treatment for Addiction, Alcoholism, Recovery, Hazelden Betty Ford, Treatment Center, Support for Family, Family Support Group, IOP, Intensive Outpatient Program, Learn to Cope, The Addicts Mom, TAM, Support Group, Bob Meyers, Parent CRAFT, Annie Highwater, Unhooked, Laurie MacDougall, Substance Abuse, Alcohol, ACOA, Adult Children of Alcoholics, Parent of Addicted Child, Parent of Addict, Co-dependent parent, Alcoholic, Alcoholics Anonymous, CODA, Codependents Anonymous, Opiod Epidemic, Opiate Epidemic, Narcotics Anonymous, NA, marijuana, pot, weed, heroin, coke, crack, cocaine, painkillers, narcan, barbituates, manipulate, manipulation, manipulative, divided house, family relations, support groups, mental health, bipolar, Elliot, goals, focus, Recovery, addiction recovery, Laurie MacDougall, Annie Highwater

Podcast: “CRAFT! Where Have You Been All My Life?”

In today’s podcast, Annie and Laurie welcome Allies in Recovery founder, Dominique Simon-Levine, to explain the CRAFT method for helping families support an addicted loved one into treatment and through recovery. They share their personal experiences in implementing the CRAFT methodology and why it became their ‘strategy of choice’ not only in helping their addicted loved one, but also in looking after their own well-being.

Allies in Recovery May 30, 2017
Stress

Reaching Level 10 Stress…and Stepping Away

The long-term stress I experienced caused me to become very forgetful, hasty in my decisions, confused and socially awkward. I also noticed that during that time of my life I became very clumsy. It became obvious to me that I was heading for a crash if I didn’t get ahead of my stress. I knew I had to develop different responses. I knew that I didn’t want addiction, terror and chaos calling the shots anymore.

annieunhooked May 12, 2017
Dandelion - Hope

Is Your Hope at the Mercy of Others?

Through recovery work, I have learned to stop expecting people to be different and to reduce the frustration that comes from trying to cause a person to get better, or trying to mold them into how I think they should be (even if it’s reasonable). When I put these demands and expectations down, I can love people for who they actually are.

annieunhooked April 3, 2017
Shame - Blame

You Oughta Be Ashamed of Yourself!

Positive reinforcement, as basic and childlike as that sounds, is a motivating force for progress. Speaking to someone’s goodness despite their wrong choices unlocks their worth. “You’re not a bad person, you’re just headed in a bad direction.” Or maybe “You shouldn’t be ashamed of yourself, maybe just aware of faulty patterns so you can choose different ones.” That’s a great way to start motivating someone. Versus, “I told you so, you ought to be ashamed of yourself.”

annieunhooked March 23, 2017
Woman by Ocean

What I Did to Get Better

If I’m out at a party at a friend’s house, staying present in the party, in the moment, and enjoying every single moment with them, because that’s where I’m at right now … [this] helped me to have some joy and love right then, in that moment …

Laurie MacDougall March 7, 2017

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