Enthusiastic Sobriety Relies On Providing Support To The Entire Family
Parents of drug abusers experience a wide range of emotions drug abuse or drug addiction in the family is a very scary thing to have to deal with. Fear, guilt, anger, depression, confusion, and hopelessness can cripple any parent wrestling with addiction in the home. Other parents who have been through the addiction and treatment process can provide empathetic support. For many parents, this is the first step towards getting help or addressing any mental health issues that have arisen as a result of having a drug abuser in the home. The tools of enthusiastic sobriety apply as well to parents as to teens and young adults. These techniques provide parents with the opportunity to develop strategies for family recovery. Even if you have tried something like Al Anon or Nar Anon in the past, you may find that our unique perspective related to young people with drug problems is more useful to you.
Online Support Groups: Pros And Cons
Online support groups are very similar to the regular kind, with one of the significant differences being the fact that everything is held from the comfort of ones home. By using video conference calls, the group can be moderated and carried out precisely as it might have been in person.
Online support groups can be a lifesaver for people who may have difficulty leaving their homes to find a physical support group venue. Not only that, but some people may feel safer or less anxious when engaging in a group meeting from a familiar, comfortable location, such as their bedroom. It is also very pertinent in the wake of COVID.
Online groups can be pretty beneficial as those participating dont need to worry about the arrangements for transportation and the stress that comes with that. It also makes it easier to find a support group that works best for you instead of relying on the closest ones.
However, the social setting and contact with others are absent in online groups. Listening to support and advice from other people going through a condition tends to be more impactful when they are there in person. The support shown by other members may come off more flat than intended too. It should also always be kept in mind that technical issues can bring down an entire meeting.
Family / Friends Support Groups
Community Reinforcement and Family Training
Description: CRAFT helps the family member or support person in the substance abusers life to learn to promote and increase protective factors while reducing risk factors, at the individual and family level. This program will take place in a group setting and will be anywhere from 8-12 weeks, one time per week. This is a free support group for families or loved ones of individuals struggling with addiction. The group takes place at Hilltop Resource Center at 11th and Colorado.
Phone: 970.683.7128 or 970.216.0366
Mind Springs Health
Description: Offers a variety of support groups and therapy services for those struggling with substance use disorder.
Phone: 970.241.3658
Website: www.mindspringshealth.org
Description: Psychoeducational support group for family members and friends who are coping with a loved ones substance use disorder. Education and mutual support is offered for family and friends to help reduce stigma, isolation, stress and become education about the disease of addiction.
Phone: 970.201.5875
Parents of Addicted Loved Ones Support Group
Description: Support group, meets every Thursday at First Presbyterian Church, provides support, educational information, prayer and small group discussion.
Phone: 970.379.5786
Website: www.palgroup.org
Recovery Community of Western Colorado
Phone: 970.712.9982
Website: www.rcwest.org
Voices for Awareness Andrea Thomas
Phone: 970.250.8449
Recommended Reading: What Are The Stages Of Change In Addiction
What Are The Best Resources Are For Families Members That Suffer From Addiction
There are plentiful resources for families members that suffer from addiction. Support groups are the best resources for support. Support groups exist in most communities and can be found by looking online or talking to friends who have family members with addiction problems.
When a loved one is struggling with an addiction, families tend to react in a number of different ways: from anger and blame, guilt and shame, fear and sadness, helplessness and hopelessness. All these emotions interfere with the ability to find support during difficult times as well as support for healthy changes.
In addition to support groups, families should take time every day for self-care practices such as journaling or meditating that will help them avoid negative feelings while in between support group meetings.
The Importance Of Family Support Groups
Family members with a loved one abusing drugs may feel alone and angry at themselves. They may also feel as if they have failed as a parent and seek reassurance in their suffering. Finding support is essential in understanding a family members substance use disorder , as is easing parents anxieties and frustrations.
Addiction is often referred to as a family disease, as one family members addiction ultimately affects the entire family. When family members attend support groups, it inevitably affects the family as a whole. It can be highly beneficial in helping a family heal from the dysfunction that addiction causes. It also increases the chances that their loved one will seek help and maintain long-term recovery.
Support groups can also allow parents to be vulnerable as they seek community in losing a child to Opioid abuse. Members facilitate the group as a whole by sharing common experiences, strength, and hope with each other. Lastly, family members can gain insight on coping with anxiety, shame, depression, and anger arising from a family members substance use disorder.
Don’t Miss: Drugs To Help With Opioid Addiction
Treatment And Recovery Services
We Level Up TX treatment center is committed to supporting families of loved ones, undergoing rehab treatment. Our caring and attentive specialists work hard to reconnect the broken relationships between families and their recovering loved ones. They set out to find mutual areas to help mend the client and family dynamics and underlying relationships.
We know that addiction and corresponding mental health illnesses touch virtually all aspects of client relationships. Negatively impacting and even destroying family relationships, extending to erosion of work and social life relationships. Because client families play such an important and critical role in client recovery, we offer treatment services that deal with enabling behaviors. And touch on earlier traumas plus include family involvement opportunities/updates/discussions along with family dynamics therapies within our treatment modalities.
We Level Up TX treatment center offers a free family program to ensure recovery and healingwhich includes support groups for families of addicts
Family therapy is usually provided by a psychologist, clinical social worker, or licensed therapist. Patients need to trust their therapist to be able to open up and talk about their issues. Parents, whether married or divorced, spouses, grandparents, and even siblings may visit or attend the sessions or scheduled family visitation timeframe by invitation along with client and therapist approvals.
Find Help And Support At Healthy Life Recovery
Finding support as parents of addicts can be challenging. However, parents do not need to struggle alone with a proper support group. Support groups can advise, help with boundary-setting, and provide comradery with like-minded individuals.
If you are a parent of an addicted loved one, reach out to Healthy Life Recovery today. Our team can help answer any questions you may have and give you a better understanding of our treatment services. Healthy Life can also provide resources for parents, including help with an intervention.
Read Also: Signs Of An Addictive Personality
How To Have A Successful Intervention
An intervention is one option that many people attempt to get their loved one to enter treatment. However, this technique must be handled with care to have even a chance at success. Many interventions cause more harm than good, and a professional must be included to avoid making the situation even worse.
Once you decide to hold an intervention, the first step is contacting an intervention specialist. They will determine whether an intervention is appropriate in your situation. They will also be able to ensure that the intervention is as successful as possible. After all, this is a very sensitive situation that must be navigated extremely carefully to avoid disastrous consequences.
When planning an intervention, keep in mind that it is possible that your loved one does not yet realize that they have a problem. They may even be in complete denial about having an addiction. If this is the case, they may react in a manner that you arent expecting. Be prepared for a range of reactions and emotions. Your loved one may feel angry, hurt, or betrayed.
The purpose of having an intervention is very specific:
What Is The Importance Of Having Family Support While In Addiction Treatment And Recovery
The importance of having family support while in addiction treatment cant be stressed enough. Recovery support groups for families of addicts are one of the most important aspects of addiction treatment. Family support is key to long-term recovery because it can help prevent relapse by having the support of loved ones.
When someone enters addiction treatment, that person is taught how to better deal with feelings and emotions without using drugs or alcohol. People are given coping mechanisms that they can use if their triggers dont expose them to substances that will lead to relapse.
If family support is available during this time, then its much easier for people to avoid relapsing once they leave rehab. When people feel alone after leaving rehab, relapse becomes more likely since there isnt anyone there who understands what theyre going through.
Read Also: What Is The Hardest Addiction To Quit
How To Conduct An Intervention
An intervention requires careful planning by the loved ones of the person at the center of the intervention. Planning should happen well before the intervention to determine who should be present and what issues should be addressed. The intervention team should then recruit a mental health professional to guide them through the process.
What Should I Consider When Im Looking For Support Groups
When looking for support groups, there are several things to consider. First, determine the support groups purpose. In addition to support groups for families of addicts, there are support groups for addicts. Support groups specifically for family members often have a more limited focus and may be better suited depending on your specific needs.
When looking for support groups, dont forget to check online since there are many support groups out there that you can join or start yourself. You might also want to consider joining regional community organizations or faith-based communities.
Another thing to consider is what type of support you feel that you need. Some support options include phone support or online support programs which may offer a different experience from attending support groups in person.
There are also free support options as well as paid support options available to those who can afford them. So, make sure to research any potential expenses involved beforehand when attending a support group. What works best for one family member might not work at all for another.
You May Like: I Need Help With Porn Addiction
What About You When Dealing With Addiction Has Taken Over Your Life
When we love somebody who is addicted to alcohol and/or drugs we lose ourselves in their ongoing crisis. We forget that we are important too. Life is centered on helping the alcoholic or addict, or just dealing with the constant chaos their addiction creates. Our lives are thrown off-balance and we become emotionally sick. Like recovery from addiction itself, recovery for family members starts with admitting that we have a problem and seeking help.
There are many support groups for families and friends of alcoholics and drug addicts. Addiction is a worldwide crisis and there are many, many people who share your difficulties in loving someone with an addiction. Like you, they became lost in the crisis of dealing with their loved ones addiction. They found support and healing by connecting with other people who have addicted loved ones.
Frequently, when you take your focus off of your sick loved one and put it back where it belongson yourself and your own life, the addict will follow your example and seek recovery. However, this should not be your primary motivation for seeking help. Though it may not seem like it after a long, heartbreaking struggle trying to save your loved one who has the disease of addiction, you are a valuable person and your well-being is just as important.
The Pathway Program Drug And Alcohol Treatment Success Stories
I was told about Pathway by a friend at work, my teenager was out of control and abusing both alcohol and drugs. I didnt want anything to do with another counselor, after multiple expensive failed attempts at reaching him. I walked in the door at Pathway frustrated and cynical. After attending Pathways program, I walked out with my son. Thank you for your love and support.
Recommended Reading: Is My Husband Addicted To Porn
Learning How To Set Boundaries And Prevent Enabling Behavior
When youre helping a family member whos facing addiction, theres a fine line between helping and enabling. Setting boundaries is a vital part of supporting your loved one as they recover from their addiction. Support groups for families of addicts can provide you with the tools you need to set important boundaries with your loved one and provide them the support they need from you without enabling them to abuse drugs or alcohol.
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
Also Check: Medication Used For Drug Addiction
Don’t Miss: How To Deal With Love Addiction
Stay In Touch With Personal Joy
Managing expectations is a little easier when individuals are responsible for their own bliss. That means every member of a recovering family needs to take time to do something thats relaxing and fulfilling. This could include:
- Playing an instrument
These activities and others like them can make the participant feel happy, preserve a sense of efficacy and worth, and help boost mental health.
For example, research has shown that knitting can be beneficial for psychological well-being, as people who knit experience feelings of calmness and happiness. A hobby such as knitting can serve as an effective form of stress relief for those coping with a loved ones addiction.
Getting A Loved One Professional Help
Friends, family members and self-help groups can support people who want to recover from addiction. But they cant treat the disease.
Treatment for addiction comprises a range of therapeutic experiences that help the brain relearn how to function without alcohol and other drugs. It includes supervised detox, a necessary step to safely overcome withdrawal.
You can start searching for rehab facilities by asking your primary care physician for a recommendation. You can also search online or call an addiction hotline. Insurance providers can also provide a list of facilities that are covered by your plan.
Also Check: What Is The Addictive Substance In Alcohol
What Are The Benefits Of Having Support Groups For Families Of Addicts
There are benefits of having support groups for families of addicts. One of the benefits is that family members will have a safe place to share their feelings and thoughts about the addiction. They will also be able to receive support from other family members who are going through a similar situation. This support can help family members feel less alone and more hopeful.
In addition, support groups can provide families with information about addiction and its effects on the family. Families can also learn about resources available to them, such as treatment centers or support groups for addicts. Finally, support groups can help families develop coping skills that they can use in order to deal with the addiction.
There are many different types of support groups for families of addicts. Some support groups are specific to the type of addiction such as alcohol or drug addiction. Other support groups are open to families of any addict, regardless of the type of addiction.
Do You Love Someone Who Struggles With Drugs And/or Alcohol Use Get Support Now
USARAs Family Support Program using the CRAFT model, is a free program for family members and friends who are concerned about someone close to them with a substance use disorder, facilitated by people with a lived experience of being a family member or friend of someone with an SUD.
Our family support groups can be joined at any time. There is no registration required and no charge for classes or materials. We have many locations and times available!
Call or text or email to connect with a family support facilitator, you will receive a response within 24 business hours.
You May Like: Substance Abuse And Addiction Have Been Called
The Importance Of A Support System
Having a support system is important for several reasons:
People in recovery are more likely to relapse if they do not have a support system.
A support system provides accountability and support.
A support system can help you maintain your sobriety.
A support system can offer emotional support during difficult times.
A support system can provide practical support, such as rides to meetings or providing meals.
A support system can help you establish priorities for your life, which makes you better prepared to fight the disease of addiction.
A support system provides valuable feedback about your recovery.
A support system can help avoid social support by offering support for people experiencing social support.
