When we think about the impacts of substance abuse, we often place the majority of our focus on the how addiction affects the physical, mental and spiritual health of the addict him or herself. In reality, the disease of addiction affects the entire family and each family member feels the pressure in unique ways. The stresses that families feel in dealing with a loved one who is struggling with drug and alcohol addiction can throw the entire family structure into complete chaos.
Addiction impacts the stability of the home, the family’s overall mental and physical health, their finances, and impacts how family members interact with each other as a whole. It is important that when a loved one undergoes drug treatment that the whole family becomes involved in the treatment process. The following are five reasons why family addiction therapy programs in Ohio help addicts and their families heal and move forward in recovery.
Both the Addict and their Family Learn about the Disease of Addiction
Addiction is a complex disease which has deep and complex roots which include genetics, social and environmental factors, family dynamics as well as family history of substance use and abuse. Through quality family addiction programs in Ohio, experienced counselors can bring the addict and their family together to see how these factors have impacted their lives.
The addict can understand the underlying roots of their addiction and how their actions have not only impacted their lives but the lives of their family. Additionally, the family of the addict will come to understand how their patterns of communication and interaction with their loved one contributed to their addiction. In family programs, the family is seen as a system with each part related to all other parts.
A Focus on Support
With the help of an Ohio family therapy program, both the addict and family learn they are not alone in regards to overcoming addiction. During drug treatment, the addict is encouraged to seek the support that is found in Twelve-Step groups such as AA and NA. These mutual sober self-help groups are made up of peers who are going through similar experiences and through their support and encouragement the addict can become empowered in their own recovery.
The family is also encouraged to seek out the support of groups such as Al-Anon, Alateen, Nar-Anon and Learn to Cope. These groups are for family members of addicts who share their knowledge, strength, and hope in order to help them understand and overcome the disease of addiction. Ultimately, both the addict and family learn that the family unit itself is the best source of support. By understanding the disease of addiction and receiving the support through these self-help groups, both the addict and the family become empowered to make the necessary changes to move towards healthy relationships and communication that fosters long-term recovery for everybody involved.
Ohio Family Programs Help Stop Enabling
Oftentimes families engage in behaviors that enable the disease of addiction in their loved ones, and many times they don’t realize they are doing so. Enabling can take on many forms, including giving money to the addict, paying their rent and making excuses for their behavior. During family programming, counselors will bring awareness to these behaviors and will allow families to acknowledge how they helped perpetuate their loved one’s addiction.
In addition to focusing on enabling behaviors, family therapy programs in Ohio will also focus on other behaviors that can provide roadblocks in recovery. These behaviors include blaming, rationalizing, minimizing the addiction and denial. These methods of coping with addiction are ineffective and also contribute to a loved one’s drug and alcohol problems. Ultimately, counselors in Ohio family programs will help the addict and their family recognize their roles in regards to the addiction of a loved one and help them build healthier coping and communication skills that will help the overall family unit.
Ohio Family Addiction Therapy Programs Help All Involved Build Resilience
For families who are experiencing the devastating effects of drug and alcohol addiction firsthand, they go through a rollercoaster of emotions that significantly impacts the physical and mental well-being of each family member. For each family member, they may feel as though they are powerless in dealing with a family member’s addiction and as a whole the family unit can suffer. A major goal of family counseling is for family members to give voice to what they are experiencing, and once those feelings are out in the open counselors can help families find the strength to overcome those feelings of powerlessness and find empowerment.
In family counseling, each family member can be open and honest and feel they have an important role in recovery. The family learns to support each other in their own recovery and in turn this provides motivation for the addict to find the strength to break the cycle of addiction. The family learns to detach themselves from a loved one’s addiction with love and allows them to assume responsibility for their own recovery. In turn, the family works on assuming responsibility for their own behaviors.
Family Programs Help the Addict and their Family with Ongoing Care after Treatment
It is often said that recovery is a journey and an ongoing process. There is no clear-cut timetable to the addiction therapy process and the possibility of relapse is as real for family members as it is for the addict. It can take months and even years for addicts and families to regain their physical and mental health and to repair their relationships. In order to achieve the best long-term outcomes, both addicts, and their families need to constantly pursue the resources that Ohio family programs can offer after formal treatment has concluded.
Would You Like to Know More About How Family Therapy Programs Can Help You and Your Loved Ones Recover?
If you are seeking drug treatment for yourself or a loved one, an Ohio family addiction therapy program is an essential part of the recovery puzzle. The addiction professionals at Ohio Addiction Recovery Center utilize family programs that are effective, proven to work and can be individually tailored to meet your specific needs. Call us right now!
