Therapy For Family Members of Addicts
Have you been looking into therapy for family members of addicts? Maybe you have a parent or sibling that is addicted to drugs or alcohol. You may be unsure of where to turn for support. The good news is many places offer excellent individual therapy and group therapy for family members of addicts. Keep reading here to find out more about the benefits of this type of therapy and how it might help you with your family dynamics.
Learning About Addictions in Therapy for Family Members of Addicts
Many family members of addicts don’t truly understand the nature of addictions. That is normal and no reason to be ashamed. Understandably, you are hurt and upset by your family member’s addictive actions and lifestyle. However, you can heal and learn to understand their addiction better. You can also find out more about how addiction affects families and learn to cope with their addiction. During therapy for family members of addicts, you can find ways to better connect with and support your family member who has this addiction. Connecting and supporting one another can benefit you and your family member.
Being Able to Voice Your Feelings, Thoughts, Questions, and Concerns
Do you have someone in the family with an addiction to drugs or alcohol? If so, it can be challenging for you and other family members to voice your thoughts and feelings. You may feel as if you can’t speak up because it will trigger your loved one to have a relapse or to get upset. However, you have a right to talk about your feelings, thoughts, and concerns. You have a right to ask questions and get answers from your loved one who has the addiction.
There are specific techniques that can help everyone in the family voice their feelings, thoughts, and concerns more productively. You can also word questions better to help prevent the person who has the addiction from getting defensive.
During group therapy for family members of addicts, the therapist will help guide everyone through how to do these things.
Offering Support for Your Loved One
Your loved one must have support after they get out of a treatment center. Recovery is a lifelong process. It doesn’t stop just because someone goes home from treatment. Addiction is not a curable disease.
It might be beneficial for you and other family members to attend therapy for family members of addicts. During the sessions, you and other people in the family can learn how to offer the best support for your loved one when they get out of the treatment program.
Some of the things you might do include allowing your loved one to vent, spend time with them, and help to keep their stress levels down. You can learn about these things and more when attending this type of therapy.
Easing and Managing Your Feelings
Family members of addicts must have the ability to ease and manage their feelings. The person with the addiction is not the only one who is affected. Their family members often take the brunt of their addictive lifestyle.
During individual or group therapy for family members of addicts, you can learn ways to ease the feelings you have. For example, anxiety might be your main feeling regarding your loved one’s addiction. If this is the case, the therapist can help you learn how to cope with and prevent anxiety. In addition, you can learn how to express and manage your feelings better. There may be times when you can’t get rid of a negative feeling you have, but you can learn to handle it better.
Developing Strategies for Recovery
Many people think the person with the addiction is the only one that needs recovery. However, this is not necessarily true. The family members of an addict also need to recover. You may have had some traumatic experiences with your loved one when they were drinking or using drugs. It may be difficult for you to trust them again. However, with some recovery work and self-care, you may be able to have a good relationship with your family member eventually.
Addressing Mental Health Issues
The person with the addiction may have some mental health issues, along with the addiction. Professionals may call this a co-occurring disorder. You or other family members may have a mental health issue that affects the way you communicate with your loved one, as well. If this is the case, individual or group therapy for family members of addicts can help everyone create better relationships with one another.
Changing the Family Dynamics
When someone in the family has an addiction to drugs or alcohol, the family dynamics are changed. For example, if the daughter of the family struggles with addiction, one or both of the parents may enable her. When the daughter gets into treatment, the parents will need to learn how to support her recovery without enabling certain behaviors. Improving family dynamics is just one reason why therapy for family members of addicts can be so beneficial.
Conclusion – Therapy For Family Members of Addicts
Having a family member who has an addiction is life-changing and not in a good way. It changes their life and the lives of their loved ones. However, there are ways that you, other family members, and your loved one can recover from their addiction. One of the best options is to attend therapy for family members of addicts. During these sessions, everyone can work together to rebuild their relationships with one another.
Are you ready to get your family back on track after or during someone’s addictive lifestyle? If so, contact us today to get started with therapy for family members of addicts.