If you have a drug or alcohol addiction, your behaviors affect much more than just you. The people you care about, including your biological family and close friends, often feel the impact as well. In many cases, the dynamics between you and some of these people may actually be contributing causes of your substance abuse problem. For that reason, addiction treatment often involves a family therapy program.
A Historical Perspective on Family Counseling
A family therapy program hasn’t always been a part of addiction treatment. In previous years, treatment centered only on the person with the addiction. Many professionals focused solely on the individual’s substance abuse disorder. People often left their home environments to receive residential rehabilitation. Family counseling is typically different.
However, while they returned home sober, they often re-entered a toxic family situation that resulted in relapse. Therefore, a family therapy program should no longer be an afterthought. Instead, qualified facilities conduct it in conjunction with other forms of treatment, including medical detox and individual addiction therapy. Furthermore, the definition of “family” now also includes your entire support system, whether or not they’re biologically related to you.
Working with the entire family has several benefits. The person with the addiction can gain an awareness of his or her own needs and patterns. At the same time, family therapy for addiction allows other family members to come up with strategies that help them to care for their own needs as well as those of the addict.
Having an outside perspective can also help everyone to recognize codependent and enabling behaviors that contribute to the addiction. Finally, family members can better understand the cycle of addiction to ensure that future generations don’t also suffer from this disease.
Do You Need Family Therapy for Addiction?
Despite the change of focus in the field, you might still be thinking that you can address your addiction or that of someone you love without bringing others into the mix. Before you make this decision, ask yourself the following questions:
- Have family members objected to your substance abuse, but you ignore their objections?
- Has your addiction affected the physical or mental health of those you love?
- Do you or other family members believe they have contributed to your addiction?
- Do family members want to learn ways to help you stay sober and avoid relapse?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you and those you love would benefit from family help as one part of a larger addiction treatment strategy.
Reaching Out
Addiction can cause you to feel both hopeless about your future and isolated from the very people who can help you find lasting sobriety. At Sunflower Wellness Retreat, we are committed to assisting you on your first steps toward health and recovery. Here in our beautiful and private Kansas campus, we work closely with you as you undergo family therapy for addiction to drugs or alcohol.
We take the time to get to know you as a person in order to recommend the best family counseling and family therapy program. Our compassionate staff members understand how difficult and stressful these initial days of recovery are. For that reason, we’re here with you every step of the way. If you become one of our residents, expect the following:
- Close one-on-one relationships with our medical and therapeutic staff
- Holistic detox
- Multiple recreational activities
- An individual addiction and family therapy program
- Alumni Program
Your life can be infinitely better than it is right now. Call our compassionate addiction counselors today at 855.730.8825 to begin your journey to a successful and full recovery.
Family therapy for addiction is important because the effects of addiction aren’t limited to the addicted person, and the causes of substance abuse can be varied and complex – family issues can contribute to and perpetuate the illness of addiction. In fact, addiction is sometimes referred to as a “family disease.” Successful treatment, therefore, often incorporates the family of the person struggling with addiction.