Rebuilding Trust: A Journey of Healing and Understanding

Trust is a fragile entity, often eroded by the profound impact of mental health challenges and substance abuse on our relationships with loved ones. It is unrealistic to expect that once trust is broken, it can be immediately reconstructed. Rebuilding trust is a delicate journey that requires time and patience—an essential lesson I strive to impart to my clients who are navigating the paths of recovery and rehabilitation.

Giving our loved ones the time they need is crucial, acknowledging that the choices made have consequences and impacts. As trust erodes or breaks, its restoration demands patience and gentleness, both with others and with oneself. There is often a desire to hasten this restoration, driven by distress intolerance, frustration, and an urgent yearning for immediate approval and acceptance.

When family acceptance or trust does not return as swiftly as desired, individuals working to rebuild their lives may experience frustration, feeling triggered, rejected, or abandoned once more. Resentments from the past may resurface, intensifying the situation. During this tumultuous process, it is vital to assist these individuals in regulating their nervous systems, centering themselves to achieve clarity and rationality in their thought processes. Encouraging them to breathe deeply and cultivate understanding and acceptance for what others can or cannot offer is essential.

This journey is not just for one person; it is a shared path for everyone involved. We are all on this journey together, learning, growing, and rebuilding trust as we go.

(c)2024 John Piedrahita