Addiction Support Groups For Families & Loved Ones

Drug and alcohol addiction affect not just the person with the addiction, but also family members and other loved ones, who may be experiencing frustration, guilt, loneliness, and other negative feelings. There are many treatment resources for people with SUDs to receive help, such as outpatient, inpatient, and residential treatment centers, but if family involvement isn’t included with treatment, loved ones may not know where to turn when they need support.

Addiction support groups for families and other loved ones exist to help fulfill this need. Some of these groups, such as Al-Anon and Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families, follow the 12-step model. Other groups, such as SMART Recovery Family & Friends, take a more scientific approach.

Below we explore the many support groups for loved ones of people with addiction, including their differences and their benefits. We’ll also look at the family support options available at Bedrock Recovery Center.

Family Support Groups For Addiction

Addiction treatment helps people experiencing active addiction achieve recovery, but family members and other loved ones aren’t necessarily included in the process and may be left without support. Often, the people closest to those with addiction live with them, and are directly affected by the psychological and physical symptoms of their loved one’s addiction.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) outlines how addiction can affect a family, including by disrupting family dynamics, cohesion, and communication, and increasing conflict. Family members may feel unequipped to help, blameful, or disappointed, and not want to seek help.

The addiction support groups below focus on the family members and loved ones of people experiencing SUDs. Each support group has a different approach, but they all strive to help people become educated about addiction, practice self-care, build community, and better help their loved one.

Al-Anon & Nar-Anon

Al-Anon and Nar-Anon are associated with the widely known 12-step groups Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). AA started in 1939 to help people experiencing alcohol addiction find sobriety through a spiritual and service-orientated life. A couple of years after AA was up and running, a need was recognized among AA members’ families to find a source of their own community and purpose. Thus Al-Anon was started, a group devoted to partners, children, siblings, relatives, and other loved ones of people with drinking issues. Soon after, Nar-Anon was founded, which focuses on helping people with loved ones experiencing drug addiction.

In Al-Anon and Nar-Anon meetings, members share their experiences as family members of loved ones with SUDs. Members also go on a spiritual journey through a modified version of the steps taken in AA and NA. Just as someone in AA or NA admits powerlessness over alcohol or drugs and comes to rely on a god of their own understanding for recovery, Al-Anon and Nar-Anon members come to terms with the fact they can’t “fix” their loved one’s addiction. These support groups also often host activities for members to participate in, such as dances, picnics, and karaoke nights.

Adult Children Of Alcoholics & Dysfunctional Families

Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families (ACA) is another support group rooted in the 12-step model, but with a focus more on people who had a parent or parents with alcohol or drug abuse issues, or other family members with SUDs. Also encouraged to attend are people whose families act or acted “dysfunctionally,” indicated by verbal or physical abuse, self-harm, or untreated mental health disorders. ACA asks members to take a close look at their childhood and discover how their home environment has affected them. By searching through their past and coming to terms with it, with the help of a sponsor, they can learn to forgive their family members, find worth through a higher power, and honor their inner child through compassion and love.

Families Anonymous

Founded in 1971, Families Anonymous (FA) offers a supportive environment where members can share experiences, find encouragement, and build coping skills. Guided by the 12-step principles, FA emphasizes acceptance, letting go of control, and focusing on personal growth rather than trying to control their loved one. The program encourages family members to prioritize their well-being, set boundaries, and develop healthier responses to their loved one’s behaviors. FA meetings include discussions, readings, and shared reflections, are free and widely accessible both in person and online, and are open to anyone affected by a loved one’s addiction.

SMART Recovery Family & Friends

SMART Recovery Family & Friends is a science-based support program designed to help those impacted by a loved one’s addiction. Unlike Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, ACA, or FA, SMART (which stands for Self Management and Recovery Training) focuses on empowering members with practical tools and evidence-based strategies to support both themselves and their loved ones. Instead of relying on a higher power, this program uses concepts from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing (MI) to promote self-care, effective communication, and healthy boundaries.

Meetings provide a safe space to connect with others facing similar challenges and teach techniques like positive reinforcement to encourage constructive behavior in their loved ones. Sessions are available in person and online and are led by facilitators trained in SMART Recovery’s principles, including CBT techniques and other evidence-based approaches.

Grief Recovery After Substance Passing

Grief Recovery After Substance Passing (GRASP) is a support organization created for people who have lost a loved one to substance use or addiction. GRASP offers a compassionate community for those navigating the unique grief that follows a drug- or alcohol-related death. GRASP members are encouraged to acknowledge the complex emotions, such as guilt, anger, and isolation, that are common when losing a loved one to a substance. The group provides a safe, non-judgmental space to share stories, honor loved ones, and find solace with others who understand the impact of substance-related loss.

Learn To Cope

Learn to Cope is a peer-led support network for families impacted by a loved one’s addiction, particularly opioid abuse. Founded in Massachusetts in 2004, Learn to Cope offers resources, education, and emotional support to help family members navigate the challenges of addiction and recovery. Members share experiences, gain insight, and learn practical coping strategies. Learn to Cope meetings offer expert speakers, including medical and law enforcement professionals, who provide knowledge on topics like overdose prevention, treatment options, and recovery strategies. Naloxone (Narcan) training is often available, helping families be prepared in an emergency. The organization’s online forums and in-person meetings are available in multiple states.

Benefits Of Family Support Groups For Addiction

Addiction is considered a family disease for many reasons, including that a history of substance use in the family can contribute to substance use disorders and high-risk substance use in later generations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Support groups can help families understand contributing factors to their loved one’s addiction, access resources to help support themselves and their loved one in recovery, and more.

Healthy Boundaries

Family members of people with addiction may feel the need to offer as much as they possibly can, whenever they can, to help their loved one. However, this behavior, though coming from a good place, can enable their loved one’s addiction and leave family members frustrated and exhausted.

Family support groups encourage members to learn to say “no” with love, setting clear boundaries such as only offering a place to live if their loved one seeks professional treatment. Healthy boundaries allow family members to help a loved one get the treatment they need and, once in recovery, maintain sobriety.

Improved Communication

Communication is the cornerstone of any healthy relationship, but addiction can strain someone’s ability to relate and connect with others. Someone with an SUD may act abnormally, make incomprehensible or offensive remarks, or go from high amounts of communication to very little in a short period. This type of behavior can easily be taken personally by loved ones, turning to bitterness.

By attending a support group, loved ones can learn to communicate their needs, desires, and concerns more directly and clearly. By sharing their frustration, doubts, fears, and goals with group members, they can prepare to have conversations with their family member, not get defensive, and keep love at the heart of any exchange.

Self-Care

Family members may invest large amounts of time, energy, and other resources in their loved one’s recovery. Being part of a loved one’s support system is rewarding but may lead to burnout. Addiction support groups for families can offer tips on how to stick with self-care routines, such as proper sleeping, eating, and exercising. Members of support groups often work out, meditate, or attend yoga classes together to make self-care fun and remain accountable.

Support System

Recovering from addiction often requires a lot of support, including for families and other loved ones of the person with addiction. In addiction support groups, members build community, camaraderie, and trust through open dialogue, shared joys and pains, and personal growth. Groups also encourage members to engage in each other’s lives outside of the meetings, such as through phone calls, coffee meet-ups, dinners, and even vacations.

Additional Resources

In addition to support groups, various other resources are available to help families and loved ones of those affected by addiction.

• Books and podcasts provide expert interviews, personal stories, and insight into handling a loved one’s addiction.
• Online resources such as the Partnership to End Addiction and Shatterproof offer educational content, research, and access to family support programs.
• Addiction-focused apps, such as Sober Grid or WEconnect, include features for people in recovery and their families.
• Counseling and family therapy can be effective for healing familial dynamics.
• National helplines, such as SAMHSA’s National Helpline, offer 24/7 guidance on treatment options and connection with other resources.

Family Support At Bedrock Recovery Center

Bedrock Recovery Center offers several family support options for clients’ family members. These tools can help you find peace and understanding, allowing you to show up for your loved one without neglecting your own needs.

Family Psychoeducation

Family psychoeducation is a therapy approach that educates families about addiction to improve support and recovery outcomes. It’s designed to help families understand the nature of addiction, recognize symptoms, develop effective coping strategies, and find support for themselves. Sessions typically include education on treatment options, relapse prevention, and communication skills.

Family Therapy

Family therapy is aimed at improving communication, understanding, and harmony within families affected by addiction. This approach addresses patterns of behavior, codependency, and enabling dynamics. A therapist guides families in setting boundaries, increasing empathy, and learning constructive ways to support each other. Sessions may or may not include the client.