Understanding Loved Ones Struggling with Addiction: with Seth and NateUnderstanding Loved Ones Struggling with Addiction: with Seth and Nate
The Elevate Experience
Seth Provencio talks with family support supervisor Nate Miller about how families can understand and support loved ones in addiction treatment. They stress small daily changes, honest communication and a balance of patience and persistence for everyone involved.
37:10•3 Jan 2023
Helping Families Understand Loved Ones in Addiction Treatment
Episode Overview
- Families are also recovering, not just the person in treatment, and often need guidance to understand what’s happening in rehab.
- A family advisor can bridge the gap between home and treatment, offering updates, context and reassurance about a client’s progress.
- Lasting recovery is built on small, consistent habits—like routines, meetings and self-care—rather than dramatic overnight change.
- Both clients and families may experience multiple “click” moments where change suddenly makes sense, and these can happen at different times.
- Supporting a loved one in addiction involves balancing persistence with patience, staying kind and firm while accepting that change takes time.
“"Persistence mixed with patience. That is a key balance because no matter how hard you push, if your loved one is not ready, it won't make a difference."”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This episode of The Elevate Experience zooms in on the families standing beside them, often exhausted, confused and still hurting, yet desperate to help. Host Seth Provencio chats with Nate Miller, supervisor of family support and health services at Elevate’s South Lake Tahoe centre. Nate explains that while clients are in treatment, their families are back home trying to "pick up the pieces" and make sense of what’s happening.
He acts as "their eyes and ears for the progress" and translates what can sound like strange updates about CrossFit, mindfulness and new routines into plain reassurance and context. You’ll hear how early phone calls between clients and families can be rough, with old resentments and fears bubbling up. Seth and Nate stress that both sides are recovering: the client from addiction, the family from years of crisis.
As Nate puts it, "If nothing changes, nothing changes," so he gently steers families toward small but meaningful shifts—answering calls, offering encouragement, or even seeking their own therapy or support groups. A big theme is the power of “little things”: making a bed, going to a meeting, keeping basic routines.
Nate uses these as gauges of progress rather than obsessing over perfection: "All is not lost on an unmade bed in the morning." The pair also talk about the mysterious “click” moment—sometimes in week one, sometimes week six—when someone realises, "Maybe I can find a way to live without drugs and alcohol and still have a satisfying experience." Nate’s core advice for families?
"Persistence mixed with patience." He reminds them that addiction is "huge" and breaking those bonds takes time, but every kind, firm effort might be the one that lands. If you’ve got someone in active addiction—or in treatment—and you’re wondering what on earth to do next, this conversation offers a steady, compassionate perspective. What small step could you take today that future you might be grateful for?
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