Support Groups For Drug Addiction Improve Recovery Outcomes
Attending a support group meeting alone does not make recovery easier. It also doesnt predict how your recovery journey will go. However, drug addiction support groups are much more than attendance.
Research indicates that certain factors related to support groups for drug addiction can improve their impact on your recovery, including:13
- Beginning a support group while in a higher level of treatment
- Attending frequently in early recovery
- Participating and fulfilling roles at groups that allow peer involvement, such as Narcotics Anonymous meetings and SMART Recovery meetings
- Giving back to the community or volunteer work
- Giving and receiving peer feedback and encouragement
- Following guidelines or steps
Finding Support Groups For Drug Addiction
Factors to consider when finding drug addiction support groups include logistics such as location, time and day, and transportation. Also, your preference of using 12 Steps or another programs principles, if the Narcotics Anonymous meetings are open or closed, resources, and individual requirements.
Call to speak to addiction treatment specialists about drug treatment options. We are here 24/7, so you dont have to wait to call.
Ways To Get In Contact With Us
If you believe you or someone you love may be struggling with addiction, let us hear your story and help you determine a path to treatment.
There are a variety of confidential, free, and no obligation ways to get in contact with us to learn more about treatment.
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Local Family & Friends Meetings
In an effort to meet the interest and demand for locally-available SMART Recovery Family & Friends meetings, there is a growing number of areas where local SMART Recovery Family & Friends meetings are now offered.
Vancouver BC |
| nanaimoffgmail.com Please note: This meeting is on summer hiatus and will return in September! |
You can get more information on SMART Recovery meetings in the local meetings directory.
Are you interested in starting a Family & Friends meeting in your area or for your practice? Get more information
The Importance Of Support Groups For Families Of Drug Addicts
A family therapy program TX residents need, will address many areas of addiction. Support groups for families of drug addicts must recognize the relationship between the person battling addiction and those who love them. A good recovery program will understand the role family plays in addiction, recovery, and sobriety.
Support for relatives of addicts is often overlooked, but the suffering experienced by friends and family of addicts is real. Good support groups address every area of the addicts life from addiction, through recovery, and life after drug abuse.
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Family Support For Opioid Addiction
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Learn About The Disease
Addiction is a misunderstood disease. Some people are capable of controlling how much alcohol or drugs they consume. But others are unable to stop. They possess a variety of risk factors that lead to the development of a serious brain disease.
People with addiction may have made a choice to try alcohol or other drugs, but they dont choose to continue to use. The substances cause physical changes to their brain that make quitting nearly impossible.
Learning more about drug abuse, addiction and the treatment options available to your loved one will prepare you to tackle the problem as effectively as possible.
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Self Help And Support Groups
Many find it helpful to join a self-help or support group for friends, families, and loved ones of individuals struggling with an addiction or in recovery. These mutual assistance groups are typically free and based on shared personal experiences rather than professional, fee-based services, like counselors or therapists.
Some notable mutual assistance groups are:
Alcohol and/or Narcotics
What Are Family Support Groups
Family support groups are groups that offer support services for family members affected by a loved ones substance abuse or mental illness.
Within these groups, addiction is treated not just as a problem of one personbut a problem that affects, and can sometimes begin within, the family.
Examples of family support groups include:
- Adult Children of Alcoholics
- SMART Recovery Family and Friends
Support groups for families of addicted individuals are also frequently offered within communities through community centers or other drug and alcohol recovery programs.
Find the right treatment program today.
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What Is Your Role
As a professional social worker, you already understand your role. You are a facilitator of support for individuals and families struggling with addiction. You could also encourage the patients family members to seek support of their own. One of the most effective ways is to connect family members with family support groups.
For more information on support groups for families of addicts and treatment services at our addictions recovery center, contact Recovery Centers of America today by calling 1-800-RECOVERY.
Audra Franchini
What To Expect At Our Parent Support Group Meetings
- Weekly 12 step based support groups for families / parents of drug addicts or substance abusers.
- Opportunity to connect with other parents who can relate and offer suggestions and hope.
- You will learn strategies to respond to your loved one as they go through the ups and downs of their recovery journey.
- You will acquire tools to manage the difficult emotions associated with the early recovery process.
- You will learn how to set up boundaries with your child and stick to them without compromising your own morals and beliefs.
- Counselors will be in attendance at the meeting, providing guidance and support through the process.
Providing help for families of addicts is an integral part of all Insight Program locations. Please contact the location nearest you to inquire about dates, times, details, or treatment options.
Stonebrakers Inc.
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What Takes Place At Families Anonymous Meetings
Families Anonymous meetings follow a similar structure to other 12-step programs.
However, they come with some additional benefits that cater to flexibility and inclusivity.
For example, they allow any FA member to lead a meeting. In fact, it is encouraged to have different people lead each session.
FA provides a suggested meeting format for leaders to refer to when conducting a meeting. However, this is just for guidance.
Leaders are encouraged to host meetings in a way that makes them feel most comfortable. It should also best support the people in the group.
A typical meeting may begin by welcoming newcomers and making announcements. This is followed by asking attendees if they would like to share their own announcements.
If there are new members present, they may also describe the goals and structure of Families Anonymous.
Members often start by reading FA’s:
- Talking without recognition from the leader or while someone else has the floor
- Having side conversations during the meeting with others in a one-on-one setting
- Counseling other members
- Questioning the decisions or actions of other members
During discussion sessions, members request to be recognized by the leader to make comments. This allows everyone to contribute while making sure the focus is on the current person speaking.
The practice lets the speaker know they can be truly heard. This helps to provide a strong emotional boost at an often critical time.
For Families And Codependents
These meetings are for those who have relatives and friends with addictions and problem behaviors. In addition to these groups, there are often links to family recovery groups for specific addictions or behaviors on the sites for the programs dedicated to them.
- Adult Children of Alcoholics: Find an ACA meeting by location search. They also have online meetings and phone meetings.
- Alanon and Alateen: Search for an Al-Anon Family Group meeting by location in the United States and Canada. You can also use the site to find online meetings, international meetings, or phone meetings.
- Codependents Anonymous: A 12-step program for recovery from unhealthy relationships.
- Families Anonymous: Get a PDF file of FA meetings by state. This is a 12-step program for those who have a family member with an addiction or problem behavior.
- Nar-Anon: A 12-step group for friends and families of people with substance use disorders.
- Recovering Couples Anonymous: A 12-step group for couples who want to restore and maintain their relationship in recovery.
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How To Support Someone With An Addiction
Dont try to help someone with an addiction on your own. Substance use disorder, the medical term for addiction, is a chronic disease. You wouldnt try to treat other chronic diseases, such as diabetes, without help.
You would want to learn as much as you can about the illness and urge your loved one to seek professional treatment. After the person visits the doctor, youd encourage him or her to make healthy lifestyle changes. Those are the same steps you should take to help someone with an addiction.
Alcoholism Help & Support
Alcoholism, a condition medically diagnosed as an alcohol use disorder, is a chronic and relapsing brain disorder characterized by the compulsive use of alcohol despite the potential for significantly negative drinking-related consequences. In 2018, an estimated 15 million Americans had an alcohol use disorder.5
People who struggle with alcoholism may experience many negative consequences, including medical, financial, emotional, and social issues.
If you think you need professional help, your first call should be to find a treatment program for drug or alcohol abuse. Addiction treatment can help you on your road to recovery by exploring the underlying reason for your problematic substance use and providing you with the tools necessary to achieve and maintain sobriety. 12-step programs and support groups are an important component of ongoing support and recovery, especially after formal treatment ends.
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Family Support Groups: Coming Together For Lasting Recovery
At Rosecrance, we take a comprehensive approach to substance abuse treatment and recovery that follows the evidence. This means we bear in mind and address all aspects of substance abuse, including the emotional, developmental, psychological, social and cultural factors. And, of course, the familial aspects.
In fact, the family is as central to recovery as it is to the substance problem and every other aspect of life. Thats why we offer family support groups of our own and actively support other organizations and groups who share this commitment to the family.
Children Of Addicted Parents
Often, children who grow up in homes where addiction affects one or both parents have complicated lives. Even when a child of addiction is old enough and mature enough to understand their parents struggle, addressing it can be an extremely complicated part of the process.
One study highlights the sheer number of problems that can arise when a child grows up in a home with one or both parents dealing with drug addiction. In cases where a child had to grow up in a home touched by addiction, they were more likely to experience neglect, slower development, high risk of interaction with child welfare and foster systems on a temporary or permanent basis, and homelessness. Children of addicts are also more likely to become addicts themselves.
One reason why the impact is so grave when a child grows up in a home broken by addiction is that children need their parents to develop socially, academically and personally. Parents are an essential part of development for children, and when addiction enters the equation, it rewires the brain in ways that cause addicts to put drugs or alcohol first, prioritizing their abuse over family responsibilities. This leaves family members stunted, at least in terms of growth with the input of those around them.
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A Key Difference In Addiction Support Groups
As you can see, these programs offer a lot of the same benefits and are organized in much the same way. Both offer a safe place to share your struggles and find support. Both focus on you .
But there is one key difference between the groups.
The purpose of the Families Anonymous program:
Families Anonymous is a 12-step fellowship for the family and friends of those individuals with drug, alcohol, or related behavioral issues. We are here to help!
The purpose of the Al-Anon program:
Al-Anon is a mutual support program for people whose lives have been affected by someone elses drinking. By sharing common experiences and applying the Al-Anon principles, families and friends of alcoholics can bring positive changes to their individual situations, whether or not the alcoholic admits the existence of a drinking problem or seeks help.
Did you catch it?
Al-Anon is specifically focused on alcohol use disorder. Al-Anons primary goal is to provide support to the friends and families of alcoholics.
Al-Anon completed a member survey and found that 35 percent of members said they joined the program because of a loved ones drug addiction.
Families Anonymous, on the other hand, focuses more generally on addictive behaviors. This includes substance abuse, gambling, sex addictions, and other behavioral addictions.
So, if your loved ones behavior is related to an addiction other than alcohol, Families Anonymous might be a better fit.
Common Support Groups For Drug Addiction
Not everyone benefits from the same type of support group. Factors such as format, location, stage of recovery, and access to resources may influence a person. It is essential to attend a support group based on your preferences and goals. A discussion of 3 of the most common drug addiction support groups is below.
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The Value Of Family Support Groups For Addiction
When someone is in treatment for a substance use disorder they will probably welcome all of the support they can get. Family members can play an important role in their loved ones recovery journey by engaging in family support group sessions. Family-focused group sessions provide a safe space for family members to improve relationships, gain fresh insights, and show support for the affected loved one.
While the focus of a treatment program will be on the individual with the SUD, it is also a well-known observation that addiction is a family disease. For this reason, due to unhealthy family dynamics that might be factors, family involvement in the treatment and recovery process is highly encouraged.
According to a SAMHSA publication titled Substance Abuse Treatment and Family Therapy, integrating family therapy into SUD treatment provides an additional layer of therapeutic programming. Family therapy often leads to important breakthroughs, offering a new awareness of how the SUD impacted the family system as a whole. Through these sessions, family members can identify problem areas and make positive changes.
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Resources For Families Coping With Mental And Substance Use Disorders
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While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for helping a family member who is drinking too much, using drugs, or dealing with a mental illness, research shows that family support can play a major role in helping a loved one with mental and substance use disorders.
When a family member is experiencing a mental or substance use disorder, it can affect more than just the person in need of recovery. Evidence has shown that some people have a genetic predisposition for developing mental and substance use disorders, and may be at greater risk based on environmental factors such as having grown up in a home affected by a family members mental health or history of substance use. Families should be open to the options of support groups or family therapy and counseling, which can improve treatment effectiveness by supporting the whole family.
It is also important to remember that the unique challenges that come from helping a loved one with a mental or substance use disorder can be taxing, so caregivers should take steps to prioritize their own health as well.
Family members may be more likely to notice when their loved ones are experiencing changes in mood or behavior. Being able to offer support, family members can connect those in need with treatment, resources, and services to begin and stay on their recovery journey.
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The Role Of Family Support In Addiction Recovery
Family support can play a key role in a persons Recovery journey. When your loved one is battling addiction, they may feel a range of emotions, such as anger, fear and shame. While many feelings are often universal for those in Recovery, addiction to alcohol or drugs is an individual experience. This can make it difficult for family members to know how to offer support to a loved one who is going through Recovery.
Fortunately, at 7 Summit Pathways, we know how invaluable family support is during Recovery. If you are looking for ways to support your loved one, here is information and tips for offering the best possible family support.
Our Services For Families Coping With Addiction
Our skilled and understanding family peer support staff have experienced addiction issues in their own families, and they use what theyve learned to help others facing this situation. We are here to support you while you help your loved one reach the point of being willing and ready to engage in treatment. All of our services are completely free and confidential.
To connect with one of our staff, email us at or call 410-730-8267.
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Family Counseling During Addiction Treatment
Most inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment programs make a point to include family members, friends, and other loved ones in a variety of options for support, whether this means counseling and therapy sessions where family members are present or larger group family counseling sessions within a group.
At FHE we present several options for family and friends to get involved with their loved ones recovery, both for their own emotional process and to provide the necessary support to their loved one through an arduous process of healing.
Addiction affects the entire family unit. There is no shame in seeking a support group because of its impact. Often the best thing you can do to support your family member is to take care of yourself and be available when they reach out for help.
