How to Support Someone in Addiction Recovery: 6 Things That Actually HelpHow to Support Someone in Addiction Recovery: 6 Things That Actually Help
A Little Help For Our Friends
Dr Kibby McMahon outlines six evidence-based ways loved ones can support someone in addiction recovery while safeguarding their own wellbeing. The episode blends her personal experience with practical guidance on treatment access, communication, overdose preparation, and family healing.
51:01•27 Aug 2026
How to Really Support a Loved One in Addiction Recovery
Episode Overview
- Sobriety is not a simple on/off switch; addiction and its impact continue after drinking or drug use stops.
- Loved ones can help by making treatment and appointments easier to access and stick with.
- Reinforce recovery behaviours—such as attending meetings or choosing not to drink—through attention, praise, and connection.
- Use objective descriptions and "I" statements to discuss worries without escalating shame or conflict.
- Protect your own wellbeing with therapy, support groups, and recognising your trauma, so you can grow alongside the person in recovery.
“Addiction is a journey. It's a tendency. It's a part of you. It's something that you heal from. It's something that you might come back to.”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol or drugs, and how on earth are you meant to support them without losing yourself in the process? This episode of *A Little Help For Our Friends* zooms in on that tricky space after someone gets sober, where you’d think everything should be fine but somehow, it still isn’t.
Psychologist and host Dr Kibby McMahon speaks candidly about her mum’s long-term recovery from alcoholism and how her own "black and white, night and day, on and off switch" thinking around addiction caused more pain. She reminds you that sobriety doesn’t magically erase trauma, tricky dynamics, or mental health struggles – for the person in recovery or for those around them. You’ll hear six research-backed ways loved ones can actually help.
These include making treatment and appointments easier to access, reinforcing sober and recovery-oriented behaviour instead of unintentionally rewarding old patterns, and using "I" statements to talk about scary topics without piling on shame or conflict. Dr Kibby also gets practical about overdose risk in opioid recovery, explaining why early relapse can be so dangerous and why tools like testing kits and naloxone training matter. Crucially, she keeps bringing the focus back to the people around the addict.
Recovery is described as "a sickness of a family or community", and there’s a strong emphasis on carers protecting their own wellbeing, seeking support, and recognising that they, too, have trauma from years of crises and hospital trips. Finally, the episode looks at what happens when the substance is gone but the underlying wounds remain: depression, boredom, irritability, and unresolved relationship issues that can easily trigger relapse if ignored.
If you’re wondering how to be there for someone in recovery without becoming their therapist or their police, this honest, research-led conversation might be exactly what you need. How could these six strategies shift the way you show up for your loved one—and for yourself?
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