Family support in recovery

Family Support In Recovery Posted by Into Action Treatment on July 5, 2015 in Articles, We Do Recover An addict faces many obstacles in life and they tend to focus on these obstacles differently than a non addict does. Thus, when an addict begins treatment they often worry about ‘what is the family going to think?’ or ‘Have I lost everything?’.

A treatment program is a time for the addict to learn about their addiction, the causes and the treatment options. They learn to recognize their triggers and they learn how to avoid them. This works great, while they are in patient. However, when they leave this in patient treatment program they are still faced with the daily struggle of their situation.

Having a family support network, in addition to their newly created support network from their treatment program, can give them an added bonus and an edge up on their personal situation.

However, it’s important that the family know some about addiction, recovery, co dependency and

enabling.

For this reason many treatment programs have a ‘family weekend‘ session where the family of the patient attends group counseling sessions with the patient and other families. The family attend an intense series of sessions in which they will learn about addiction and how it affects the entire family.

Families will learn to spot warning signs and help the patient to avoid a potentially dangerous situation.

Families will learn how to properly support the addict so that they are responsible for their own actions.

The family will also learn how they may have inadvertently contributed to the patients conditions. Only when everyone is on board and on the same page can a treatment and post treatment protocol begin.

Family members need to be educated about how allowing certain behaviors is setting the patient back up for failure.

Patients need to learn that the family isn’t going to accept specific behaviors anymore and that the patient is going to be held accountable for his or her behavior. Each and every action has a consequence be it good or bad. As these consequences play out it’s important that the family not ‘rescue’ the addict but rather let the addict deal with the consequence.

It can be a huge challenge for the family to allow their loved one to make a mistake and have to accept responsibility for their mistake. However, by covering for the patient or allowing the patient to get away with things the family is enabling the patient to continue in their behavior of addiction.

As the patients see the consequences of their actions and as the family is supportive of the patient but not allowing the patient to blame others for bad behaviors the entire family will begin to heal. The patient will learn that they can no longer manipulate the family and the family will learn that they can no longer enable the patient to take advantage of others.

Through intensive treatment protocols and family therapy today’s addicts are finding that recovery gives their lives a new meaning and that they are able to stay clean and sober through following their treatment plan. Families get their loved ones back and everyone works together to improve the family unit.