The road to recovery includes unearthing complex variables of the past, which can include our familial loved ones. Through treatment, we may find that we have specific memories and thoughts to work through with our family. Thankfully, there can be numerous benefits to including your family on the journey to recovery.
Discussing how family benefits the loved one going through treatment and how they can support them through this daily journey of sobriety can help people achieve long-lasting recovery. Progressing forward as a family and having support on your side can make a world of difference in recovery.
How Family Heals
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the presence of family can have positive effects during treatment. Family can motivate clients to continue with treatment as the issues being discussed are often mixed in with family dynamics.
When the family is involved in therapy sessions, they find that past issues in family conflicts can be the primer to addiction. In addition, this helps the family gain an understanding of their role in the situation, which can sometimes bring closure to clients. This also helps the client connect present decision-making with past thought patterns created by family conflict.
Understanding Unhealthy Family Patterns
Another positive aspect of family treatment is the ability for families to recognize unhealthy family patterns. We often learn methods of conflict and management skills from observing our family. If it is discovered that there was an unhealthy precedent set during a prime time in the client’s life, this can help them and the family to determine how to mend this thought pattern.
By doing this, clients can learn to replace negative thought loops with positive outlooks. Also, this clues the family into possible relapse signs that their loved one might exhibit in the future. Understanding unhealthy family patterns give everyone the necessary tools to recognize when to intervene without being overbearing.
How Family Can Support
In addition to recognizing relapse warning signs, family is crucial to a client’s long-term sobriety. Addiction recovery is a lifelong journey. It takes daily motivation and decisions of positivity.
In order to succeed, we need a community and support group to ensure our progress. Family is one of the best built-in supports. For those struggling with daily thought patterns, having someone on call that can be a reassurance may be the difference between success and relapse. Family is a gift because it stabilizes support.
The family’s involvement in a loved one’s treatment encourages them and lets them know they are not alone in the battle. While they engage in healthy habits, the family shouldn’t be afraid to join them. Establishing the same habits may give the family insight into how to encourage their loved one to keep moving forward.
Family members may find that both sides can benefit each other in recovery. It sometimes is not just about the individual struggling but also about reestablishing family ties and creating a healthy environment for everyone.
How to Stay Strong
As a family unit, having someone fall into addiction can adversely strain everyone’s emotions and the relationships within. This is a complex and trying time, but there is hope in the process.
Set Boundaries
While the family learns how to support their loved one, they should also learn to set healthy boundaries. This may include the tone in which your loved one communicates with the family or the amount in which the family can participate in therapy with their loved one. Boundaries help keep the lines of communication open and set a precedent of honesty in the process.
Find Support for Everyone
Be sure to take care of each other as a family while a loved one is in treatment. While family members might want to invest all of their time and energy into a loved one’s treatment, they may find they are too drained for the patience needed for open communication.
This can also lead to strained relationships within the family as stress can be increasingly high at this time. It is important for family members to have their own support within and outside of the family. This way, no one person is giving to the point of exhaustion and failure. We all deserve love and care.
Finding Treatment for the Family
At First Steps Recovery, we place importance on treatment. This includes involving families in the process. We ensure that our client’s needs are met to the fullest extent. This includes their families.
We promise to provide an environment of comfort and growth as families navigate these difficult times. Family plays a crucial role in the process of recovery. At First Steps Recovery, we want families to feel welcome to join in on their loved one’s journey. Through understanding, there is healing, which can only lead to hope.
First Steps Recovery is a community of caring professionals motivated to free you or the one you love from addiction. We understand the uncertainty that comes with choosing addiction treatment, especially when a family is involved. We aim to make this transition seamless. Not only do we take the client’s needs into consideration, but we also want to involve their families in the process to ease the discomfort of change. Our clinicians understand the pain of the situation. That is why we always seek to serve our clients in ways other addiction treatment facilities do not. If you are searching for treatment options, First Steps Recovery is here to help. Our approach to treatment can ensure lasting recovery for those struggling and their family. Through evidence-based and holistic practices, we can inspire change. To learn more about First Steps Recovery, call us today at (844) 489-0836.
