How Addiction Affects Your Family Members

While addiction is often treated and viewed as an individual disease, its effects on your family members can’t and won’t go unnoticed. Addiction will impact your family as they bear witness to the tolls it can take on someone’s life. It’s not something that is easy to digest by any stretch of the imagination and families will need their own form of love and support during these difficult times. Addiction should never open the floor for others to play the blame game, especially when it comes to your family. It’s never the fault of the family as to why someone has become an addict. 

If addiction is a familial issue, then rest assured, there are comprehensive family programs that will remedy many of these challenges. Here at Southeast Addiction, we have devised a family program that caters to the family members of addicts by providing them closure and the tools to healthily support themselves and the one who is being overtaken by the addiction issue. By bridging these gaps, your loved ones will have a better understanding of the pitfalls that are impacting your life.

The Toll Of Addiction On Families

Addiction is a disease that slowly progresses over time. If the disease is allowed to progress, it can restructure the interpersonal dynamics of the familial relationship with the person who is suffering. Families that witness the downfall of addiction can be prone to physical and emotional turmoil. These situations will prompt them to display much compassion and empathy for the situation, but the stress of figuring out how to devise a sound solution is where much of the stress will come from. 

For the family members of addicts, a string of other issues can arise such as financial distress, lack of trust, decline in mental health, domestic abuse, risk of developing diseases, and much more. Since addiction can be considered a family disease, a family program creates a safe space that fosters the much-needed communication and problem solving skills that are devoid in other scenarios that don’t rely on these resourceful tactics. This will also do wonders in helping your loved one in the healing process. If your family is equipped with the right coping tools, it will contribute to healthier interactions between you and your family.

What Is Discussed In Family Programs?

Family members should always be involved in the process of recovery. What makes family programs unique is that they aren’t widely available in all addiction treatment centers. Some places are under the guise that family doesn’t need to be involved in the recovery process or they may assume that you have no family around at all! This isn’t a practical approach as many patients who are ready to leave a treatment center, will at some point or another, depend on their family for assistance anyways. Home should be a safe space once treatment is complete. 

In family programs, the following topics and strategies are covered:

• The model of addiction
• Impact on the family structure
• Learning to establish boundaries
• Maintaining and fine-tuning communication
• Covering the 12 steps
• Addressing unhealthy methods of enabling
• Properly conveying your emotions
• Working towards rebuilding trust

Family programs are centered around inclusivity. Direct relatives are encouraged to join if they are being impacted by the addiction. Attendance in these programs is only half the battle. You must demonstrate a willingness to learn more about addiction, that way you can properly facilitate the transition from an addiction treatment center. 

Getting Started With Treatment

Southeast Addiction offers the Family programs for all patients and these tailored solutions can be included with conventional treatment services. We understand that many families want to be on the same page when it comes to the progress of their loved one’s journey of healing.

If you’re interested in learning more about our Family program, you can contact us today to learn more about how we can be of assistance during these pressing times.