Addiction is a family disease. Once addiction touches your life, it quickly spreads to affect those around you. The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment states that substance abuse disorder can have negative impacts on emotional patterns in families. Many family members struggle with the answers about how to help their addicted family member.
People with addictions can feel overwhelmed with shame and condemnation. Yet, it is critical that addicts speak to their families about why and how they can help them through treatment. It is essential that everyone understands addiction and learns to work together to combat its challenges.
Speak Openly
While addiction may feel overwhelming, your honesty is essential. Especially when it involves a family who doesn’t understand what addiction is and how it affects you. One of the best ways to help educate your loved ones is to try to explain to them how it controls you and the ways that treatment can help you through.
People fear most what they don’t understand. If you can answer some of their lingering questions, it can put them at ease in a way that no other person can. This can be a complex process, but the rewards of open conversation can lead to rebuilding trust.
Provide Resources
Aside from speaking to your family directly, providing resources is helpful. Pamphlets, documents, or links discussing addiction can give a more objective viewpoint of your dependency. Communication can sometimes fall short of delivering complete insight into the power that substances have on someone who is addicted.
More scientific education on addiction may also help compartmentalize the difficult issues that come with a loved one struggling with substance abuse. Information can be found online or at a local medical clinic. There are also representatives at treatment facilities that are available to discuss with you what is involved in treatment.
Explain Your Needs
It can feel impossible to create boundaries during addiction. This is partially due to the guilt and shame that follows knowing the effect that your addiction has had on the people around you. Guilt is a major cause for addicts to continue in silence without getting treatment.
However, when seeking treatment and communicating with your family, explaining your needs is crucial. This not only helps them understand what you want, but it can help you flesh out what you need. Treatment is a difficult process and not being honest about what you need can be problematic. Talk to your family honestly about your boundaries, as long as they are healthy, and ask them to kindly respect your decisions moving forward.
Assure Them of Their Role
For many families of people with addictions, there is a storm of emotions that can haunt them. They may wonder if your addiction is their fault or if they caused it. The guilt from these thoughts can feel endless.
Talking with your loved ones about your addiction and truthfully discussing its origins can help. Even if they played a part, being open with them could lead them to heal faster from the trauma of your addiction. No matter who you are, you need support in dealing with the emotions of processing this family problem. Be sure that your family knows that while you need emotional support, so do they. Encourage them to speak to a professional, or attend support groups for families of people with addictions.
Reach Out
As treatment progresses and you create new connections, you may feel tempted to turn away from your family. This may be because of guilt or simply the pain that is caused when you see them. However, reaching out to your family throughout treatment and after can go a long way in mending relationships.
When you feel that you may need to speak with someone, consider a family member. This can help them feel involved and let them have some control in the situation that they have not had. You can both benefit from reaching out.
Involve Them in Treatment
Social Work in Public Health states, “Relationships serve as the communication conduits that connect family members to each other.” The role of family therapy should not be understated in addiction recovery. Family therapy helps restore the bonds of parent to child, child to parent, spouse to spouse, and sibling to sibling relationships. It brings in the principles of honest communication, boundaries, and roles in a way that feels safe for everyone involved. Having the extra mediation can help resolve tense or stressful situations.
Addiction Treatment
First Steps Recovery places an emphasis on family. Whether you are a patient or a family member, you deserve the same care and attention. The path to full recovery is not just internal healing, but reconnecting with family in stronger ways. First Steps Recovery has facilities and experts to help you focus on what matters. If you, or someone you love, is struggling with addiction, consider reaching out. No one should be a slave to addiction, and neither should their families.
We may know why alcohol is destructive, but that is not always enough to change our habits. While you may be struggling with addiction or are even struggling with finding peace from the storm, please consider First Steps Recovery. We want to help you break away from the addiction constraining you. Addiction is a disease that can destroy families and happiness. Our experts are trained to help you work through your addiction to help you live a life without substances. If you are concerned about your relationship with substances, we can help you achieve freedom through sobriety. Please call First Steps Recovery at (844) 489-0836 for more information about our facilities.
We may know why alcohol is destructive, but that is not always enough to change our habits. While you may be struggling with addiction or are even struggling with finding peace from the storm, please consider First Steps Recovery. We want to help you break away from the addiction constraining you. Addiction is a disease that can destroy families and happiness. Our experts are trained to help you work through your addiction to help you live a life without substances. If you are concerned about your relationship with substances, we can help you achieve freedom through sobriety. Please call First Steps Recovery at (844) 489-0836 for more information about our facilities.
