This article discusses howtough loveworks and whether this approach is effective.
What Is Tough Love?
There are several ways that tough love is used in everyday language.
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This can include a healthy set of firm boundaries, common inauthoritative parentingstyles.
For instance, a parent may use tough love against their adult child who has not gotten a job.
Having consequences can change behavior, but this is an extreme example that can have long-lasting negative repercussions.
When used effectively, it can mean detaching with love or setting healthy boundaries.
When used ineffectively, it can be harsh, punishing, and even abusive.
It can also involve demanding that the other person enter compulsory treatment.
Does Tough Love Work?
Instead, interventions that focus on offering practical support tend to be more effective.
Tough Love vs.
Setting Boundaries
Instead of tough love,healthy boundariesare often a more effective and sustainable solution.
Your boundaries are the limits to what you are willing to accept in a relationship.
Healthy boundaries should be clearly communicated.
It is also essential to maintain these boundaries by following through with consequences.
Examples of boundaries for dealing with addiction include:
Explain these boundaries to the individual.
Using"I feel" statementscan help express your feelings without being confrontational or accusatory.
Using the CRAFT approach, loved ones reinforce positive behaviors and avoid reinforcing negative behaviors.
The approach is not only more compassionate, it also tends to be much more effective.
The CRAFT approach is an effective alternative to tough love.
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