Addiction doesn’t only affect the person struggling with substance abuse. Family members often bear the brunt of the fallout. They must watch as someone they love undergoes drastic personality changes. Families are the ones who typically step in when a member gets into legal trouble or ends up in the hospital because of an overdose. A family intervention is sometimes the only thing that gets through to people consumed by addiction. Getting through these issues often takes the help of family therapy for addiction through a rehab program.
How Family Therapy Helps With Addiction
Participating in family therapy can help clients who may also have co-occurring disorders driving their addiction. Families may not be aware of what’s causing their loved one’s behavior. It can be why interventions sometimes don’t seem to get through to a loved one. Family therapy is a period where people get the chance to repair dysfunctional dynamics that often build up because of an individual’s substance use disorder.
Family therapy should be approached the same as other forms of treatment. There should be a commitment by all parties to focus on healing, not just assigning blame for past actions. Therapists work to understand the family dynamics to help work out the most productive way forward for each member. They guide you through getting over lingering resentments that may be stopping you from coming back together as a family.
Having the full support of family members is often crucial to the success of a client. They need to be clear-headed and not distracted by conflicts that might undo the progress being made in recovery. Being there for a loved one can give them the strength to avoid a relapse.
Rebuild Relationships With Family Therapy for Addiction
Families can get stuck in a cycle of confronting a loved one about substance abuse, trying to help them through a situation, then seeing them fall back into addiction. Your family may find it hard to distinguish between trying to help you and becoming an enabler of your behavior. They may fear that pulling back in any way might lead to harm to you or even death.
Attending family therapy for addiction allows you to break those unhealthy patterns. Everyone gets a chance to express their frustrations. The therapist can keep the conversations on track so they don’t devolve into circular arguments that don’t go anywhere.
Family therapy for addiction isn’t a quick fix for long-standing issues surrounding addiction. If you’re willing to work at it, family units can get to a point where everyone is on the page about helping a loved one through a difficult time.
What are the Benefits of Family Therapy for Addiction?
Attending family therapy can be vital to helping your family rediscover its closeness. Some of the ways you might benefit from family therapy sessions include:
- Getting through the dynamic where families feel like they must constantly police the behavior of a family member
- Showing how a family member’s reactions might not be helpful to a loved one’s recovery
- Teaching each member how to shift negative thoughts into a more positive direction
- Giving families guidance on how to rebuild bonds previously thought destroyed
- Showing clients and family members more effective communication techniques
Let family therapy serve as a foundation to helping clients build a stronger foundation for recovery.
Get Family Therapy Help at Midwest Recovery Center
Midwest Recovery Center understands the toll that addiction takes on family units. While it won’t be easy, it’s not too late to come back together if there is a willingness on all sides. We help individuals working to come back from addictions like:
- Alcohol addiction
- Cocaine addiction
- Heroin addiction
- Marijuana addiction
- Meth addiction
- Opiate addiction
- Opioid addiction
- Painkiller addiction
- Prescription drug addiction
If you need help reconnecting with your family, contact Midwest Recovery Center at 833.627.0039, or contact us online.
