Family Drug Support Australia
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Setting Boundaries

  • About +

    Boundary – 'a limit on what is reasonable' - Oxford English Dictionary. One of the areas that families of substance users have difficulty with is in setting boundaries that are effective and manageable.   All relationships where people live together need boundaries in place to develop trust, stability and… Read More

  • Defining The Boundary +

    What is the issue, circumstance, area of concern? What do you need to achieve? Examine your motive in wanting to set this boundary. Is it in response to clear thinking about an area of concern or is it an angry response to a set of circumstances? If… Read More

  • If A Boundary Is Broken +

    You can expect boundaries to be broken by substance users – especially when they are first put in place. They will often react to changes by pushing you and other family members to previous ways of behaving. They will probably be less motivated to change than you are.… Read More

  • Setting A Boundary +

    Having thought about the boundary you would like to set and being prepared to talk about it, the next thing is to set it with the substance user. The skill to utilise is negotiation. It is important to build and maintain a dialogue between the user and… Read More

  • Keeping a Boundary +

    The last stage in the process is keeping the boundary. This is done by: Observing if the boundary is being kept Acknowledging that it is being kept or if it is broken Responding appropriately if it is broken Read More
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