Addiction doesn’t occur in a bubble. It affects those around you, most notably family and loved ones. While a substance abuse problem manifests itself in an individual, if the solution involves the family too, the benefits can include longer lasting sobriety.
Here’s how family can play a role in treatment:
Become informed
While a loved one is in treatment for drug or alcohol abuse, everyone can benefit from family members understanding the stages of substance abuse and recovery. This will help lead to realistic expectations of the recovery process.
Discover their role
Family members need to understand how they participated in the addicted person’s abuse and learn how they can actively support recovery.
Speak out
Family therapy sessions are part of many treatment programs, allowing the person in treatment to talk through issues related to their addiction as well as larger family issues. This is also a time for family members to speak out about how the addict’s substance issue has affected them. (For larger families, one or two key members may participate so the process goes smoothly and isn’t overwhelming).
Determine areas for change
For the best recovery results, it’s often necessary to change patterns of interaction between family members, especially behavioral sequences associated with substance abuse. Counselors can help your family determine specific goals for change and the steps needed to reach those goals.
It can be tempting to try to go it alone in treatment, but studies show that family support decreases treatment dropout rates and increases long-term recovery success. When battling an addiction, you can use all the support you can get.
Tags: Addiction, Decreased Treatment Dropout Rates, Family, Family Therapy, Loved Ones, Patterns of Interaction, Stages of Substance Abuse, Support Recovery
