When Trying to Save Someone Else Means Losing Yourself: How Empathy Can Take a Toll on Your Mental Health

Imagine you’re feeling back to yourself after a lengthy healing journey from a previous breakup. You’ve found your sparkle again. Confidence is through the roof. And then you meet someone who you think further ignites that spark in you. You have fun together. It’s like nothing you’ve ever felt before & feels so much better and different than what you had with your ex. They tell you about all these things in their life that you empathize with them about: their trans journey, familial distance/unsupport, church hurt, out of work due to mental health struggles, their ex trying to kill them & more. It made you just want to give them the biggest hug you could ever imagine giving. Your empathy couldn’t contain itself. You wanted to save them. Yet, in trying to do so, it deleted you, taking a toll on your mental health.

Trigger warning: mental health, sexual assault, domestic violence, addiction, suicide

---

The Relationship

---

From Chaos to Clarity: How I Went from Casual to Catching Feelings

When I first met Hayden, I was in a place where I was feeling very chaotic when it came to my love life. I just wanted to have a nonchalant summer casually dating around and not making any commitments. I told myself I would give it until September to keep things open and see how things went with whoever I was dating. Enter Hayden—we met on a dating app initially then went on our first date at the end of April. We enjoyed casual banter and bonded over similar stories and experiences. I strongly felt (at the time) that God had put me in their life for a reason.

Early on in dating, we had decided to stick to casual and be buddies, if you catch my drift. I also was doing the same thing with someone else. As I said, I wanted to be chaotic (and for me, this was chaotic). I eventually ended things with the other person and started catching feelings for Hayden (while the two may or may not go hand in hand, I’m still not sure). Once the feelings came, I told Hayden I had to break it off—my mental was already confused. I wasn’t sure if it felt truly done, so we decided to take a week apart, no contact and reconvene to see how we feel. Hayden was able to give me that space and it was a good indicator, at the time, that they would and could respect my boundaries.

Navigating Red Flags and Connection: My Mental Journey Into Exclusivity

Almost immediately after rekindling, things really started to pick up. Two months in, and a week after rekindling, Hayden asked me to be their girlfriend. I said no (as I wanted to stick to my September rule) but at this point we decided to be exclusive (what’s the difference? IDFK). And who even knows if they stuck to that…but I digress.

There were a few red flags that should have made me rethink things from the start—personal health challenges, addiction, being on leave from work, and misaligned values around marriage. But the stories I was being told made sense to me, and I could understand how they ended up where they were. I wanted to see it through, and at the time, it didn’t feel right to walk away, especially given the strong connection I felt.

Looking back, I can see now that my actions were driven by a lack of self-trust and the inability to truly listen to my gut. This paired with not being as strong in my mental health as I thought. Despite the hesitation, I felt God telling me to ‘get in the car and see where it takes you.’ I also wanted to give it time—to see them return to work, try to overcome their addictions, and find out if their promises of getting better were genuine.

Lost in the Ride: How I Let My Boundaries Blur in the Name of Love

Once we became exclusive, I had unconsciously made my entire life about them. Choosing them over my boundaries. Allowing my empathy to outweigh my needs. Taking up way more mental space than I had capacity for. Ignoring work and things I needed to do in my own life. My life and mental health were unraveling and I didn’t realize while it was happening. It felt like I got in the car, and it just kept speeding up and speeding up, with no ability to slow down or stop.

They started infiltrating my life—coming to most of my shows with me, having me stay at their place most of the time, constantly asking for help with basic tasks, and relying on me to drive since they were usually drinking. And as a helper and people pleaser, I wanted to. Outside of this, we did have so much fun together. We were able to laugh, dance, and just be goofy—something I’ve always desired in a partner. Yet, Hayden was so extroverted in a way that was embarrassing. But that became just another thing I shrugged off. I convinced myself that I enjoyed it, was being too hard on them, and to just keep rolling with it. So I did…despite the gut feeling.

Running on Mental Empty: When Love Feels Like a One-Way Ride

As we approached Hayden’s birthday in August, I started to feel like I needed the car to significantly slow down. I needed to really take a step back and re-evaluate my role in the relationship. It felt like I was giving everything and it was just being taken and taken and taken…with nothing in return. My mental health was deteriorating.

I had planned to address this post birthday, but the night of their birthday, they ended up breaking their foot…and what kind of girlfriend has a “relationship evaluation” conversation after that? It felt like the WORST timing.

I did eventually address some smaller issues, such as the driving, and it seemed Hayden was willing to work with me on that. But since they were unable to drive due to their foot, this just became an even bigger deal. It exacerbated how I was already feeling (emotionally drained/relied upon) and moved that feeling to a physical form: full reliability on me for any driving, doctor’s appointments, etc. The car continued to speed up and I had lost control.

Despite losing control, we did become official official mid September. Hayden had waited to re-ask me to be their girlfriend until the month arrived. When the time came, they surprised me at one of my shows with my favorite flower and popped the question. It truly felt like the most special thing anyone has ever done for me. As special as it felt, the car was in overdrive and continued on, until I couldn’t drive it anymore.

The Breakup: A Timeline

---

Saturday-Tuesday

After one month of being official, I was completely in over my head. We had a full outing on a Saturday: pumpkin patch with friends, mid day outdoor concert and to top it off: a concert in the evening. The next day, I was COMPLETELY exhausted. The car battery was dying, dying, dying.

After feeling uneasy all of Sunday, I left their place and went to a concert with a friend. While I did so, they went and met up with some friends at a bar. I was still feeling off, barely hearing from them while at the show, which spiked my anxiety even more. My mental health was NOT doing well.

After the show was over, I got back to their place and they weren’t there, despite texting them to tell them I was on the way back. I can’t remember if I texted once I got there, but I know I was there for about an hour or so without hearing from them and had reached out again along the lines of: “are you coming home?”. They said they were and from what I remember, took them another hour or so to come home, which was incredibly alarming & hurtful. I felt ignored entirely.

I was already feeling incredibly drained and anxious from the relationship, and that was just a big sign to me how unimportant I was to them. This action spoke volumes. I didn’t know yet what I wanted to do, so the next couple days I shut off completely from the world, even Hayden. I had expressed to them that I needed space and time to myself, time to think, etc. Despite expressing this, they still attempted to contact me, disrespecting my boundaries and needs.

Wednesday

After those couple days, I knew I needed to end things. I reached out to them and we planned to meet up that Wednesday. I packed up anything I had of theirs at my place, without indicating to them what I was planning to do, and headed to their apartment (but of course it was me going to them). When I walked in with their stuff, they immediately knew what was happening. Initially Hayden was reluctant, but we ended up having a conversation and I expressed my reasons for the breakup.

Some of the issues probably could have been discussed & worked on, but we both feel differently when it comes to marriage: I want to get married & Hayden doesn’t. Additionally, I definitely want kids and while Hayden said they did, would make comments about “not wanting to bring children into this cruel world.” This made me second guess if they truly wanted kids. We had pretty fundamental differences and these weren’t things that could be compromised on.

We both left the break up feeling sad. Hayden felt very caught off guard and like this was out of nowhere while to me it felt like a long time coming. However, the rest of the day & night, I kept second guessing if I made the right decision, as the conversation didn’t really go amicably and felt very chaotic. The irony.

Thursday

The next day I realized we still had items to exchange, so I went back to their place to get my things and return some of theirs. When I walked in, Hayden was smoking a joint and the first thing they said to me was “I think you’re making a mistake.” While you’d think this would have come across heartwarming, it felt the opposite: cold. Despite that, we ended up having a really good conversation that felt very calm compared to how we left it the day before.

I had no intention of getting back together, but I was still uncertain about my decision, so we agreed to take space again, like we did early on. We decided on two weeks of no contact, still broken up, with the understanding we would reassess things afterward. One condition I set was that we “not hook up with anyone else.” Their response, “that’s a pretty big ask,” felt off to me, and I realized how wild it was that I even had to ask this in the first place.

That night, I thought I had gotten a clear sign that I didn’t need the space and wanted to get back together. I texted Hayden this and we both were in agreement we were going to give it another shot, as something we had discussed earlier that day was them being open to marriage. I was so ecstatic that we were going to try again and see if we could make this work. However, I literally could not sleep for the life of me that night. My gut was telling me I needed to ask Hayden if anything happened (with someone else) in between our breakup Wednesday to our talk on Thursday.

Friday

After barely sleeping the night before, my gut was still yelling at me and my anxiety was through the roof. I went over to Hayden’s, thinking it would bring me comfort…it didn’t. I piddled around for a bit, trying to work, but eventually found the courage to ask them the dreaded question. The answer: they kissed someone Wednesday night. Less than 12 hours after we ended things. TWELVE. After a very confusing discussion, vague details (that eventually didn’t make sense), bogus apologies, I expressed that I would NEVER do that to them and stormed out. Hayden ended up following me to my car and without hesitation, I ignored them and drove away, refusing to give them any semblance of acknowledgement.

After driving away, I called my mom, while Hayden bombarded me with multiple missed calls, voicemails, and messages across different platforms. Their texts pleaded for another chance, expressing regret and desperation. Between a span of about 45 minutes, they continued calling me through Instagram, Facebook, and even my work number, leaving voicemails begging me to talk. I responded with “No. You don’t deserve me.” and then blocked them on anything I could think of. They also reached out to my friend, KC, asking her to convince me to unblock them and contemplating driving to my house before being told not to (thank God). By the evening, the contact had slowed, with a manipulative last message to KC, seemingly switching to small talk, as if there was any hope for them to still be friends (I introduced them and they only interacted because of me).

Saturday

Around 3am, Hayden sends me this message on Google Chat: “Please talk to me. You really blocked me on everything? Maybe I don’t deserve you. But if this is how you want to end things maybe you don’t deserve me either. It makes me so sad that you clearly want to erase our entire relationship. You broke up with me. I kissed someone. I told you about it. And it meant nothing. Hating me won’t help you heal. I’m so upset. I have never been so hurt by someone.”

So much to unpack here. Normally, I would not have engaged, however, I then remembered an intimate drawing they did of me and still had that I forgot to collect in the exchange of our items the past few days. It wasn’t super detailed and had someone else seen it, they might not have known it was me, but I knew it was me, and I did NOT want them having it in their possession. Considering the manipulation and other factors, I knew if I told them that I wanted it back, they would have held it over my head and used it as a power tactic against me. So I devised a plan: I unblocked them, reached out as if I owed them a conversation and we planned for me to come over to their apartment to “talk”.

Meeting Up

Prior to heading over, I had also found the person they kissed on Instagram and reached out via DM. I needed answers as I didn’t feel I got any solid ones from Hayden. They told me it was a peck and that it happened at their favorite local bar at 2am. Yet, after leaving the convo, the details didn’t make sense. The bar closed at midnight. Who was this person? I’ll spare you the nitty gritty, but basically this person confirmed that Hayden didn’t give me the full story. I’m not sure why I expected honesty at all considering I had to ASK about it versus them being upfront about it, but you know, I still wanted to believe the best in them.

When I arrived, Hayden was outside finishing a cigarette, asking if they could finish before we went inside. I shrugged my shoulders and had no choice but to wait, even though I just wanted to get inside, get my drawing and go (I was FUMING). For context here, I was extremely sad, angry, hurt, and felt so taken advantage of as I had given them so much in the few months we dated. A gift basket post top-surgery with items for them and their apartment. They also tagged along to free shows AND I had gifted them concert prints for their birthday.

Alongside my drawing, I just wanted to get back anything I could…because why do they get to keep any of it after what they did to me? This additional step was definitely done out of hurt and anger, and looking back, it was petty, and I do not ever want to be petty. But when you’re hurt, sometimes the emotions take over.

The Confrontation and Escape

We got into their apartment and I immediately asked about the drawing, with reluctance on their end to fully give it to me, saying they would get rid of it. I knew that was bullshit and made them rip it out of their drawing book and give it to me. I was so relieved to have it back—I stored it away and continued on to gather the rest of my gifted items. In pursuit of the concert prints, I was having trouble locating them, with Hayden expressing entitlement and that I couldn’t have them. I continued to search and in the kerfuffle, they wanted me to leave their apartment. I told them I would be gathering my items and out of their way in a second.

Even so, they threatened to call the cops on me if I didn’t leave—I quickly gathered the rest of the items, minus the prints unfortunately. When attempting to leave, Hayden blocked the door, trapping me in their apartment. After telling them to get out of the way multiple times, they did eventually move and let me leave, thankfully not chasing me out this time. I re-blocked their phone number following this interaction and in my mind, this was the end. Boy, was I so wrong.

The Ups and Downs

---

The three months following our breakup were an exhausting cycle of unblocking and re-blocking, only for Hayden to find new ways to reach me. Every time I thought I had finally created distance, another message or email would appear, violating the space I so desperately needed. I felt trapped, constantly looking over my shoulder—mentally and digitally. Did you know that even when you block someone’s number on an iPhone, their voicemails still go to a hidden folder? I didn’t—until Hayden used it to continue their manipulation.

Mental & Emotional Manipulation Paired With False Hope

When the election results came in, my heart shattered—not just for the world but for Hayden and the LGBTQ+ community. My empathy clouded my judgment, making me vulnerable. I let them back in for a single coffee meeting, hoping for closure. For a fleeting moment, I believed their words—that they could respect my boundaries, that they wanted to get sober, that this time would be different. But deep down, I knew better. Their promises unraveled quickly, revealing yet another desperate attempt to keep me tethered to them.

Escalation & Invasion

Once I truly cut them off, their actions became more erratic and invasive. Every time I blocked one form of contact, they found another. They played mind games on social media, subtweeting and following me just to bait me into looking. Drunken blocked voicemails and emails flooded in—slurred words, manipulative apologies, and guilt-laced messages designed to break my resolve.

Then came the financial violations. They logged into my Amazon account, racked up charges for a Prime Video subscription, and even watched White Christmas—their favorite Christmas movie—as if leaving a digital breadcrumb of their presence. But the worst violation was physical. When I realized they had come to my home, leaving a note on my doorstep. My stomach dropped. The letter swung wildly between heartbreak and bitterness, demanding closure I no longer owed. For the first time, I felt truly unsafe in my own space.

Seeking Protection & Feeling Powerless

By December, I was emotionally drained, the weight of their persistence pressing on me like an invisible chain. Desperate, I turned to the legal system, only to be met with frustration. I filed for a protection order—twice. Both were denied because there was no direct physical threat, disregarding the mental toll this was taking on me. I felt like I was screaming into a void, begging for help while no one took me seriously.

Out of options, I went to the police, praying they would listen. Instead, I was met with indifference. They didn’t glance at my documentation and brushed me off, without even letting me fully explain the situation (as I was not able to with the courts). The helplessness in that moment was suffocating. However, the officer did take a small step—leaving Hayden a voicemail warning them to stop and if they didn’t, I would pursue legal action. That message, more than anything else, seemed to do the trick.

The Aftermath: Finding Freedom & Facing the Past

To summarize: over the course of the months post break-up, Hayden used 12 different platforms for digital/online contact attempts: my personal phone number, Facebook, Instagram, Google Voice, Google Chat, X/Twitter, my personal email, my two work emails, Spotify, Amazon Prime/Prime Video, and through my friend. From October 16, 2024 to December 26, 2024, Hayden made approximately 50 contact attempts that I did not engage with. Furthermore, the contact escalated with Hayden showing up at my residence. We dated for only approximately 6 months, so that aggressive pursuit of resolution didn’t match the time invested in the relationship.

While there has been minor contact (more Spotify updates & an intoxicated voicemail to KC), it’s pretty much been radio silent. I have finally been able to feel free, move on, and release any anxiety I had surrounding this situation. That is…until I ran into them recently.

The Impact & What Moving On Looks Like

---

The Emotional Toll: Fear, Anxiety, and Self-Doubt

This relationship drained me in ways I’m still unpacking. The fear, the anxiety, the constant ruminating—it was a relentless storm in my mind. Even now, the weight of it still lingers. While writing this, I’ve struggled to put the pieces fully together, probably missing significant details. There was so much happening all at once that I lost track. It consumed me mentally, making it impossible to process everything in real time. It was too much.

During the relationship, I was always on edge, always bracing for the next moment of chaos. The drinking, the substance use—was there something I didn’t know about? Would they say or do something reckless that could put my job at risk? At concerts, I felt more like a babysitter than a partner, worried they’d sneak joints at Red Rocks or about what substances they were taking. I wasn’t just responsible for myself—I was responsible for them, too. And that was exhausting.

There were times in our relationship—times when we were intimate—where I said I was done, but it didn’t stop. And I didn’t fight it. I still don’t even want to admit it to myself, gaslighting my own thoughts into thinking it wasn’t what it was. But it was. And that truth is hard to sit with. I feel foolish and embarrassed—like I should have done more, said more, realized more. But I also know that’s not on me.

The Illusion of Care: Holding On to Small Moments

Despite everything, I held onto the small moments where they seemed to care. Buying me coffee with their food stamps. Surprising me at a show to ask me to be their girlfriend. Saying they’d help drive once they were better. Encouraging my work, validating my photos, speaking life into my passion. There was even a moment early on where I thought they were suicidal. They called me, and something in my gut told me to pray, to send them a Bible verse. When they called back, they sounded better. It felt like a God moment—like I was meant to be there for them. Maybe that’s why I stayed longer than I should have. Maybe that’s why I kept giving them the benefit of the doubt.

Looking back, I don’t even know if they cared about me or if I was just a means to an end—free shows, free photos, free food and drinks. They relied on me for everything but gave very little in return. I felt used, drained, and taken advantage of. They used substances, people, and even government assistance, taking whatever they could from whomever they could. I was no exception.

The Illusion of Effort: Realizing Everything Was Pretense

Rehashing it all, the truth is clear: they weren’t making an effort—they were making excuses. And I was left picking up the pieces of their destruction. Even thinking about things I thought were special (in the relationship and after) weren’t. It’s like nothing was actually their idea, which completely diminishes any significance it had.

• The flowers they showed up with to ask me to be their girlfriend? Bought by someone else.
• The girl they kissed the night of the breakup? A girl they met 2 days after we became official and only a month before officially breaking up.
• Buying me stuff with their food stamps? Abusing the system and refusing to make any effort to go back to work or find a new job.
• Little gifts they gave to me early on? Usually something given to them from a friend.
• Texting each other at certain times (2:22, 4:44, etc)? They did the same thing with one of their friends.
• A Spotify playlist made just for me? Most of the songs were used on playlists for their previous exes and the playlist title was a rinse & repeat: “For Jess” and their exes were formatted the same way.
• OUR SPECIAL SONG? The same song was on a playlist for their “first love,” who they told me early on they think they still love, who they had coffee with when she was in town, blah blah blah.

Lessons Learned: Trusting Myself and Finding Peace

As you’re reading this, you’re probably screaming at me. Thinking “how in the world did I lower my standards and accept the bare minimum (if that)?” Completely ignoring MAJOR red flags, my gut instinct, etc. But trust me, I am right there with you. Let my experience be a lesson to you: listen to yourself always, know your worth and not let your empathy outweigh your boundaries. Ending the relationship was a total weight off my shoulders and my mental health worries, stresses and anxieties evaporated. The funniest part of it all (at least to me) is that they encouraged me to start going back to therapy, only for my therapist to help me realize their manipulative behaviors. This AHA moment contributed and eventually led me to end the relationship.

For a long time, even before meeting Hayden, I felt like God was nudging me to stop drinking, but I ignored it. Being with someone who had an actual problem with alcohol should have reinforced that nudge, but instead, I found myself stuck in it. When I finally ended things in mid-October, I stopped drinking and haven’t touched it since. I still wonder if maybe that was the whole point of it all. A way for me to see how truly terrible alcohol is and what it can do to someone’s life to get me to go cold turkey. If the lesson I was meant to learn was to stop drinking alcohol, then I can be grateful for that.

Don’t Let The Fear Overtake You

A few weeks ago, I ran into them while out with some friends at the women’s march—and you know what happened? Nothing. No approach, no engagement. And I was okay. For so long, I feared what would happen if I saw them again. Would they try to talk to me? Confront me? But in that moment, none of those fears became reality. They left me alone, and that’s all I ever wanted.

Seeing them definitely triggered me and brought me right back to that fearful emotional state feeling trapped. Do I still worry about what could happen if they were intoxicated or if I was alone? Of course. But I can’t let those thoughts consume me or revert me back to that mental state. The only thing that actually happened was nothing. And I have to make peace with that.

---

Thank you for reading my story. *Names have been changed to respect the privacy of those mentioned* If you or someone you know struggles with mental health/suicide, addiction, domestic violence or sexual assault, resources are below.

---

Mental Health Resources

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

• Website: www.nami.org
• Offers support, education, and advocacy for individuals affected by mental health conditions.

Crisis Text Line

• Text: 741741
• A free, confidential 24/7 text support service for people in crisis, including mental health struggles.

Mental Health America (MHA)

• Website: www.mhanational.org
• Provides resources, tools, and information about mental health awareness, self-help tools, and support networks.

SAMHSA National Helpline

• Phone: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
• Provides 24/7 free, confidential assistance for individuals dealing with mental health issues, substance use, and crises.

The Trevor Project (for LGBTQ+ mental health)

• Phone: 1-866-488-7386
• Text: Text START to 678678
• A national organization that provides support to LGBTQ+ youth experiencing a mental health crisis.

---

Domestic Violence Resources

National Domestic Violence Hotline

• Phone: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
• Text: Text START to 88788
• Offers 24/7 support and resources for individuals experiencing domestic violence.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV)

• Website: www.ncadv.org
• Provides resources and information on how to get help, support, and escape from abusive situations.

Loveisrespect

• Website: www.loveisrespect.org
• Text: Text LOVEIS to 22522
• Provides confidential support and information on dating violence and healthy relationships for young people.

National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence

• Website: www.ncdsv.org
• A resource for professionals, advocates, and survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)

• Phone: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
• Website: www.rainn.org
• Provides support and resources for survivors of sexual assault and abuse.

---

Sexual Assault Resources

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)

• Phone: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
• Website: www.rainn.org
• RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline and offers confidential support to survivors of sexual violence. It also provides resources on recovery, legal rights, and more.

National Sexual Assault Hotline (Part of RAINN)

• Phone: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
• Online Chat: Available on the RAINN website
• 24/7 confidential support, including counseling and information about the next steps for survivors.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline

• Phone: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
• Text: Text START to 88788
• Although primarily focused on domestic violence, this hotline can also assist sexual assault victims, particularly in abusive relationships.

The Joyful Heart Foundation

• Website: www.joyfulheartfoundation.org
• Focuses on healing, advocacy, and raising awareness for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse.

The Sexual Assault Support and Help for Americans (SASH)

• Website: www.sash.org
• Offers resources and educational material for sexual assault survivors, providing support and access to necessary services.

Survivor Support Group (Online)

• Website: www.survivorsupport.org
• Provides an online community for sexual assault survivors, including emotional support, safety tips, and resources for therapy and recovery.

The National Center for Victims of Crime

• Website: www.victimsofcrime.org
• A resource for crime victims, including sexual assault survivors, offering advocacy, resources for legal help, and tips for recovery.

Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC)

• Website: www.sarcnj.org
• A comprehensive resource center that offers support for survivors of sexual assault, including hotlines, advocacy, and trauma-informed counseling.

---

Addiction Support & Treatment Resources

---

National Helplines & General Support

• SAMHSA National Helpline (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
  • Phone: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
  • Website: www.samhsa.gov
  • Free, confidential, 24/7 treatment referral and information service for individuals and families facing substance use and mental health issues.
• Crisis Text Line
  • Text: HOME to 741741
  • Website: www.crisistextline.org
  • 24/7 crisis support via text for anyone struggling with addiction or mental health challenges.

12-Step & Peer Support Programs

• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
  • Website: www.aa.org
  • A global support group offering 12-step recovery programs for individuals struggling with alcohol addiction.
• Narcotics Anonymous (NA)
  • Website: www.na.org
  • Support for individuals struggling with drug addiction through peer-led 12-step meetings.
• SMART Recovery
  • Website: www.smartrecovery.org
  • A science-based addiction recovery program offering group meetings and online support.
• Celebrate Recovery
  • Website: www.celebraterecovery.com
  • A Christian-based recovery program addressing various addictions and mental health struggles.

Resources for Families & Loved Ones

• Al-Anon & Alateen
  • Website: www.al-anon.org
  • Support groups for family members and friends of individuals struggling with alcohol addiction.
• Nar-Anon
  • Website: www.nar-anon.org
  • Support groups for families and loved ones of those suffering from drug addiction.

Specialized Addiction Support

• The Addiction Center
  • Website: www.addictioncenter.com
  • Provides information on rehab centers, treatment options, and support resources.
• Shatterproof
  • Website: www.shatterproof.org
  • A nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the addiction crisis through education, advocacy, and support programs.
• Partnership to End Addiction
  • Website: www.drugfree.org
  • Offers resources for families to help prevent and address addiction in loved ones.
• In The Rooms
  • Website: www.intherooms.com
  • An online recovery community offering virtual 12-step meetings and addiction support groups.

---

---