Addiction is a disease that affects the whole family. Family members often feel the impact of addiction in a very real way, which can lead to feelings of anger, resentment, and frustration. While these emotions are natural, they can also be detrimental to one’s treatment if left unchecked. Addiction treatment programs should include family members to learn how their loved one’s behavior affects them and gain important coping skills for dealing with this difficult situation.
Addiction Is a Family Disease
Addiction is a family disease because it affects everyone in the family – not just the addicted person. It often makes them feel like they have no power over what happens in their life. Such a feeling is the reason why it is important to educate yourself and others about addiction. When the family is on the same page, you can work together to decide how to help your loved one get better.
Family members often feel helpless when dealing with an addicted loved one. They want to do something but don’t know where to start or think their actions won’t make a difference. This feeling is common among all families affected by addiction. It’s important for family members of someone suffering from addiction to understand that they need each other to heal.
Utilizing Family Therapy
Family therapy can be an opportunity for education and healing. Such education allows family members to understand addiction and their role in their loved one’s journey to sobriety. In addition, family therapy can help families understand how to interact with their loved ones during the treatment process.
Family therapy is a great way for you and your loved ones to learn about addiction and recovery. The process of seeking treatment for a loved one struggling with addiction can be overwhelming, confusing, and even scary. It is especially true if you don’t know what questions are important to ask when seeking treatment. Understand that there are options for yourself and your loved one struggling with substance use disorder (SUD). There are many different types of treatment programs available today. Learning as much as possible about them before deciding will ensure that you choose the best options based on your needs, preferences, and budget.
Establishing Healthy Boundaries
Family therapy is effective for many reasons, one of which is establishing healthy boundaries. Family therapy can help you learn how to say:
- No. You may be used to saying yes and losing yourself in the process. However, in recovery, it’s important to learn how to set boundaries with your family. Boundaries prevent family members from taking advantage of one another. Being firm in what you will or will not accept will also prevent you from enabling a loved one to practice unhealthy habits.
- Yes. Family therapists are trained to coach their clients through difficult conversations with loved ones. A therapist can help even the most stubborn people change their mindsets as they move forward on their journeys toward recovery. However, saying yes has its drawbacks, too. It can prevent us from getting our needs met by those closest to us because we’re afraid of confrontation.
- Questioning your response. This might seem like an odd addition here, but think about it; we’re all familiar with saying yes when we should have said no. The best course of action to take is to think about the overall wellness of your family. Will your decision ultimately support wellness or spare feelings? If it is the latter, you’ll need to understand that sometimes your loved ones might not be happy with your response, but it is about putting their health and your health first.
Family Involvement Help With Long-Term Sobriety
The involvement of family and loved ones during treatment means their loved one is more likely to stay sober after treatment ends. It also improves their experience during treatment by creating a comfortable environment for them.
The most important thing you can do as a family member or friend of someone in addiction treatment is to get involved with their care. While you may not have a lot of control over the situation, there are many ways that you can help your loved one become successful at staying sober after rehab. Family participation can help in so many ways, like:
- Family participation in treatment can increase long-term success rates
- Family participation in treatment can help the family feel more comfortable
- Family participation in treatment can help the family feel more involved in your recovery process
- Family participation in treatment can help the family feel more engaged with you, which will be beneficial for both of you as you work through your issues together and learn from one another’s experiences
Family involvement through treatment and recovery is important for those struggling with addiction. The support of those around them can make or break their recovery. Treatment and recovery are already difficult enough; family support can really aid in long-term sobriety for those struggling with addiction. There is no denying that the involvement of family and loved ones during treatment means their loved one is more likely to stay sober after treatment ends. It also improves their experience by creating a comfortable environment for them. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, we want to be here to help you through it. Here at Excel Treatment Center, we want to help families support their loved ones and also get the help they need as they support their loved ones. We want to help you through this process. Please reach out at (833) 883-9235.
