The Need For Family Support

As a therapist working in the field of addiction recovery for many years I have witnessed the devastating effects of addiction and substance dependence on families as a whole, not just the addict. Family is like a mobile, when you touch one part the entire structure is affected. So it is with addiction, when one person struggles with addiction the entire family is affected. Mentally, emotionally, and financially families are often greatly impacted.

Many family members believe that if they send their loved one to rehab to “fix” the loved one’s addiction, then the family will return back to “normal.” The truth is addiction changes a person and therefore changes a family. This change isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as many families begin to have honest conversations for the first time in years. When done correctly, recovery and therapy can bring a family closer than it was before the addiction became problematic.

I always recommend that families seek support for themselves as change always brings stress, even positive change is stressful. Here are several options for families to get support for themselves :

• Be involved with the client’s therapy process. At Palm Beach Treatment schedule you can schedule family sessions with your loved one’s primary therapist. You can also attend our Family Weekend program which offers education on the Disease Model of Addiction for Family members.
• A private practice family therapist is a good options especially if there are dependent children who may be missing their parent while they are focused on treatment. A therapist can also help family members process residual feelings of anger, loss, or sadness resulting from a loved one’s actions while they were in active addiction.
• Ala-non. There is a fine line between helping and enabling. Ala-non helps family members learn what actions help sobriety and what actions enable active addiction. For more information about al-anon information in your area visit www.al-anon.org.

–Ricardo Santiago – Clinical Director – Aion Recovery

If you are ready for a change, call Aion Recovery at 888-811-2879. Come out of isolation and into recovery with the help of our personalized team. Sometimes family support is not available, we welcome you to the Aion family with open arms!