Addiction puts families through a whirlwind of emotions, from helplessness and sadness to anger, confusion, anxiety, and fear. Family members may step in to provide their loved one with financial support, childcare, and housing, essentially serving as caregivers.
Addiction researchers suggest three main types of support that family members can provide to help their loved ones reach and maintain recovery from addiction. Focusing on these efforts can maximize family members’ ability to help their loved one.
The most beneficial support from family falls under three categories, according to BMJ Open:
- encouraging a loved one to enter treatment
- being involved in their treatment
- providing services to and for their loved one
However, these added responsibilities, plus the whirlwind of addiction, is often a lot to bear, which is why support is also available for family members. Family support in addiction treatment is not only important for the person suffering, but it can also help families learn to cope with their loved one’s addiction, whether they choose the path of recovery or not.
Common Family Support Options In Addiction Recovery
Families with loved ones facing addiction can benefit from support. By getting help to deal with the instability of addiction, family members can learn how to better manage situations, deal with emotions in a healthy way, and hold each other accountable, including their loved one with the addiction. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), when family members change the way they think about and respond to addiction, the way the family functions changes.
Community Reinforcement And Family Training (CRAFT)
Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) is a skills-based program for families of loved ones facing drug and alcohol abuse but not ready to receive help. In dealing with a loved one’s addiction, families are often told to either offer help or distance themselves; however, this black-and-white thinking doesn’t work for everyone.
CRAFT works to improve the quality of life for concerned family members, reduce or end their loved one’s substance abuse, and motivate their loved one to enter treatment. Families learn how to change the way they communicate and to make sober behaviors more rewarding. The program is tailored to the family’s needs based on their loved one’s behavior, addiction severity, and willingness to change, and the family’s history, experience with addiction, and collective emotional state.
Through CRAFT, families learn:
- how to interact positively with their loved one, even through difficult times
- how to use positive reinforcement to encourage right action
- how to allow their loved one to feel the impact of continuing unhealthy behaviors
- how to continuously prioritize self-care and personal well-being
Family Psychoeducation (PE)
Psychoeducation (PE) is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that can be integrated into individual or family therapy. It entails learning about a disease/disorder and its treatment, while also discussing associated emotions, challenges, and motivations. The goal of PE is to provide clients with an emotional outlet and empower them to cope with the disease/disorder to support more effective treatment.
Psychoeducation is explained verbally by a therapist. Supplemental materials, such as homework assignments, personal development exercises, handouts, guides, pamphlets, books, and videos, may also be used.
Individual And Family Therapy
Therapy can provide immense support for individuals and families dealing with a loved one’s addiction. It can provide a safe space to express feelings, either among family members or one-on-one with a therapist. It can help with establishing healthy boundaries, dealing with tough feelings, and maintaining accountability. Addiction can bring upon many difficult and unpredictable situations, but therapy can remain a constant for families to turn to.
Support Groups For Family Members
There are many support groups available to help people who are affected by another person’s substance use disorder. These programs offer fellowship by bringing people together who share similar experiences. Support groups offer a space to be vulnerable and share thoughts, concerns, hardships, triumphs, and losses. Support group members find solace in knowing that other people understand their unique situation. Some support groups even encourage members to undergo the 12 steps of recovery themselves.
Support groups available for family members of people with substance use disorder include:
- Al-Anon: a 12-step program designed to help families of people with alcohol use disorder
- Alateen: a 12-step program designed to help young people, typically teenagers, of loved ones who struggle with alcohol use disorder
- Adult Children Of Alcoholics & Dysfunctional Families: a fellowship of people who wish to recover from the effects of a parent’s alcohol use disorder
- Nar-Anon: a 12-step program designed to help families of people with drug addictions
- Narateen: a 12-step program designed to help young people, typically teenagers, of loved ones who struggle with drug addiction
- Co-Anon: a 12-step program designed to help families of people with a cocaine addiction
- Families Anonymous: a 12-step program designed to help families of people with an alcohol or drug addiction, or with related behavioral issues
- Parents Of Addicted Loved Ones (PAL): a nonprofit support network of people with children who are addicted to substances
Benefits Of Family Support
The benefits of family support in addiction treatment impact individual family members, the collective family system, and the family member with a substance use disorder. Receiving outside support to handle overwhelming situations can equip families with tools to better manage their own struggles and improve their relationship with their loved one who is struggling.
Better Outcomes For The Family Member With A Substance Use Disorder
Families that receive support for a loved one’s addiction issues can significantly impact the quality of life for their loved one who is struggling. According to SAMHSA, family support can decrease a person’s likelihood of relapsing and increase their likelihood of remaining sober.
Not all people with substance use disorder remain close to their families in the midst of active addiction. But in the case of many, family members are often well-versed in detecting habits that may signify an impending relapse. With help, families can learn how to provide healthy support to their loved ones without enabling them. For example, if a loved one is displaying behaviors that segued into relapse in the past, family members can provide positive emotional support and offer to drive them to and from therapy and/or support groups. Family members can also learn how to put an emergency plan in place if a relapse were to occur, and determine what actions would be most conducive to their loved one’s safety.
An Opportunity For Family Healing
People generally approach and handle situations the best they can. However, the term “best” is subjective: One person’s “best” may be another person’s “worst.” If someone is not equipped with the tools to manage emotions like anger, grief, disappointment, and sadness in a healthy way, their behaviors can affect the entire family; the same can be said about substance abuse. Even though one family member may struggle with drug and alcohol abuse, others may exhibit underlying patterns of dysfunction that are not problematic enough to cause widespread concern or trouble, but are troublesome, nonetheless. If these behaviors become normalized, family members might not even notice them.
Some of the dysfunctions present in families include:
- chronic conflict
- conditional love
- controlling behaviors
- criticism
- lack of boundaries
- neglect
- perfectionism
- suppressing feelings
Family support can empower families to look at their dysfunctional patterns and work toward healthier outcomes. Through this experience, families can learn healthy coping mechanisms, better communication, accountability, how to refrain from blaming themselves, and more.
A Better Understanding Of Addiction As A Disease
Addiction is a disease of the mind. Alcoholism was classified as a disease by the American Medical Association (AMA) in 1956, followed by drug addiction in 1987, according to the Partnership to End Addiction. A substance use disorder affects the way a person thinks and acts. Specifically, addiction affects the prefrontal cortex, the basal ganglia, and the extended amygdala, which are parts of the brain responsible for motivation, decision-making, reward, and memory.
Addiction is the culmination of many factors: biological, environmental, chemical, psychological, and behavioral. However, the stigma surrounding drug and alcohol abuse has led to the misconception that addiction is a choice. While experimenting with drugs and alcohol may be a choice, addiction is not. People do not choose to become addicted, and while some folks may develop addictions, others who use the same substances and amounts may not.
It’s important that families learn to understand addiction as a disease. Having a deeper understanding can help families learn how to better support their loved one on their road to recovery.
A Sense Of Community
Community is key to overcoming addiction. Having a network of trusted family, friends, and healthcare professionals can provide long-term support and healthy connections. If a person with substance use disorder is sober but experiencing a challenging period of life, a healthy support system can offer them motivation, a sense of hope, and the capacity to express their emotions. Family support in addiction treatment can equip family members with the capacity to provide a healthy sense of support and community for their loved one. Collectively, all families can benefit from having a sound family unit.
Find Help For Drug Or Alcohol Addiction
If you or a loved one is dealing with a drug or alcohol addiction, you don’t have to handle it alone. Bedrock Recovery Center can offer you the support you need to overcome substance use disorder. Call us today for information about our treatment programs and how they can help you.
