Support Groups For Spouses Of Alcoholics
Marriages can be seriously affected by a persons alcohol addiction. The addicted persons focus on his or her addiction makes it difficult to concentrate on a relationship with another person many spouses try to handle their partners addiction to alcohol by attempting to control it in various ways. And in some cases, the couples may use or abuse alcohol together.
Many partners of an alcoholic feel shame, anxiety, anger, and isolation. They may neglect themselves physically and emotionally to cope with their partners addiction. In addition, the non-using partner often has to take on the role of both parents if the alcoholic cannot fulfill his or her parental role.2
Couples frequently benefit from some form of intervention to cope with the stress of addiction, and support groups can be a tremendous resource for the spouse of an addicted person.
Help For Your Sibling At Harmony Ridge
If you have a sibling with a drug or alcohol addiction, you dont need to look any further than Harmony Ridge in West Virginia. Harmony Ridge has several levels of care including a sober living facility. This means that we help our clients every step of the way.
Our therapists are Masters Level Certified Addiction Specialists, some with real-life personal experience with addiction. We have the knowledge, experience, and compassion to help people turn their lives around. We can help your family member too. Contact us today. You have questions and we are happy to answer.
Do I Need Health Insurance To Receive This Service
The referral service is free of charge. If you have no insurance or are underinsured, we will refer you to your state office, which is responsible for state-funded treatment programs. In addition, we can often refer you to facilities that charge on a sliding fee scale or accept Medicare or Medicaid. If you have health insurance, you are encouraged to contact your insurer for a list of participating health care providers and facilities.
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The Value Of Support Groups For Parents Of Addicts
Family support is, without a doubt, one of the greatest assets a person can have especially in addiction recovery. Substance addiction is a physically-debilitating, emotionally-devastating disease that requires a long-standing, stable support system to get through, which many people find that in their family members. The problem is, the disease of addiction does not just affect one person it affects all of those that are close to him or her. That is why family relationships are often damaged as a result of drug addiction. Addiction causes heartache, it breaks trust.
If you are a parent of an addict, you too may feel a bit broken right now. You may feel as though you cannot take a breath, like there is a constant weight or worry on your chest. You may feel lied to, manipulated, heartbroken, or angry at your child for using drugs despite all the negativity its caused. Maybe you blame yourself for your childs actions and drug use.
As a parent, it is important to know that you are not to blame for your son or daughters drug addiction. Any person, of any age or upbringing, can become addicted to drugs. It is also important to know that your loved one did not choose to become addicted. Substance addiction is a chronic disease that affects a users brain, and his or her ability to rationalize, make decisions, and exercise self-control. And because it is a chronic disease, it should be treated as so, with ongoing, active management and care.
Signs Of Codependency In Siblings Of Addicts
If your sibling had cancer, you wouldnt even consider deserting them. The same is true of a sibling with the disease of addiction. Its normal to want to help a drug addict sibling. But the wish to help can change into an inability to turn away from the turmoil. In your attempt to regain peace and order, you might actually end up enabling them and become entangled in their constant life disasters.
Some of the signs of codependency are:
- An overwhelming need to take care of other people
- The desire to be in control
- People-pleasing
- Problems with setting healthy boundaries
- Depending on others, including the addict
- Paralyzing emotions such as sadness, anger, fear, nervousness, and irritability
- Low self-esteem
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Types Of Support Groups For Families Of Drug Or Alcohol Addicts
Several support groups offer services across the U.S. specifically geared toward families of individuals battling drug addiction or alcoholism, including:6,7
Al-Anon Family Groups: Al-Anon is a worldwide fellowship program for families and friends of alcoholics. The program does not focus on trying to get a loved one to stop compulsive drinking, but instead addresses common problems faced by the loved ones of alcoholics.
Nar-Anon Family Groups: Nar-Anon is a 12-step program for anyone who is affected by another persons addiction. Loved ones are able to address the struggles they face through a structured, step-by-step process surrounded by others fighting similar battles to provide additional support and encouragement.
Families Anonymous: Families Anonymous is another 12-step program for families and friends of people with drug addiction and related problems. Anyone who is concerned about the destructive behavior of a loved one is welcome to attend.
Learn to Cope: Learn to Cope is a peer support network for families affected by drug addiction. They offer local face-to-face meetings at several locations throughout Massachusetts, New Jersey, Florida, and Idaho, in addition to myriad online support resources and forums.
Remember Support Groups Dont Replace Therapy
Attending addiction support groups for family and friends can be immensely helpful, but it is wrong to consider them as a replacement or substitute for treatment.
Although they may offer some form of outlet for repressed emotions, there are some cases where the wounds of addiction have gone too deep. Research reveals that caregivers of addicts or those who live with them at home have their own fight with depression and anxiety. In this case, seeking professional help through private or family therapy is necessary to improve its effects on mental health.
If you are a family or friend of someone who is struggling with any addiction, know that your own emotional and mental health is just as important as theirs. Freedom from Addiction can connect you to different addiction support groups in the country, as well as our own family programs.
For more information about how we can help you and your family, please contact us today.
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Family Therapy And Aud Treatment From Gateway Foundation
If you and your sibling feels overwhelmed by their addiction, know that your family is not alone. At Gateway Foundation treatment centers, we provide life-saving treatment for alcohol addiction. We also provide family support and therapy to help your whole family heal together. Reach out to Gateway for more information about how we can help your sibling begin their journey to recovery.
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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Who Benefits From Family Support Groups
Support groups for families of addicts can benefit all family members in a variety of ways. When suggesting support groups to families, keep the following family members in mind, as they may experience addiction differently and require different support groups to cope with addiction.
Spouses, Significant Others, and Committed Partners
According to Project Know, Recovery for the spouse shares characteristics with the recovery process for an addict, as both depend on acknowledging the problem, learning about the disease that helped create the dysfunction, and adopting new coping skills. Support groups can be instrumental in giving spouses a safe place. Here they can express their fears, find comfort, and discover new ways of interacting with family members.
Parents or Guardians
At our addictions recovery center, weve had many parents and guardians of alcoholics and addicts blame themselves for their childs addiction and seek to fix the situation. By joining a support group such as Al-Anon, according to Project Know, they meet other parents who are struggling with their childs addictions. They also hear the stories of parents who have developed more effective ways of interacting with their addicted children.
Children and Dependents
Siblings
What Are Examples Of Support Groups For Families Of Addicts
Because addiction affects so many family members, support groups for family members of drug addicts are very active in most communities. Examples of support groups available across the United States include the following:
- Nar-Anon Family Groups: This group is a 12 step program for family members of people with a drug addiction. It is a place that allows them to seek validation and support from other people who also have family members battling addiction, whether its a parent, sibling, aunt, uncle, cousin, child, or another family member. Nar-Anon family groups are completely free to participants and are completely anonymous, just like Narcotics Anonymous.
- Al-Anon Family Groups: Al-Anon Family Groups are very similar to Nar-Anon groups in that they are a safe space to find support for people with family members that are addicts. It is a 12 step program, anonymous, and free of charge to attend like Nar-Anon. The main difference is that Al-Anon Family Groups are geared toward individuals who have family members abusing alcohol specifically.
- Families Anonymous: This group is aimed toward people with family members struggling with addiction. It is also a 12 step program like Nar-Anon and Al-Anon. It was originally created in 1971 for parents of children that are concerned about their childrens drug use. Now, it is more generalized and geared toward anyone that has a family member struggling with addiction.
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Support Groups For Children Of Parents With Abuse And Addiction Problems
Of all family members, children may be most impacted by substance abuse and addiction. Children of drug addicts often grow up in a chaotic world full of stress, traumatic experiences, and confusion.1 Drug addiction can take over a persons life and prevent them from being a good parent to their children. Children of addicts may be neglected, abused, ignored, dismissed, or fully abandoned.
Addiction can also take a toll on adult children when parents start abusing drugs after their children have already left the house and started lives of their own. These children may end up dealing with their parents addiction in a variety of ways. They may have excessive concern and worry over the parents condition and health. Some may end up covering the costs of living for parents who have financial struggles due to their addiction.
No matter the individual circumstances, addiction can take a toll on children of all ages. There are a variety of support programs and resources available not only to young children, but also to adult children of addicted parents, including the following:
Resources For Families And Friends
Learn to Cope is a non-profit support network that offers education, resources, peer support, and hope for family members coping with a loved one addicted to opioids or other drugs. Meetings occur regularly in locations throughout the state of MA . Family members may receive overdose prevention, recognition, and response education at group meetings.
Allies in Recovery offers online resources to help family members when a loved one is struggling with drugs and/or alcohol. Allies in Recovery offers free membership for MA residents . In addition to eLearning and other online resources, the organization offers CRAFT coaching to reduce substance use, get your loved one into treatment, and improve your well-being.
Support After a Death by Overdose provides resources, information, and assistance to people throughout MA who have been affected by the death of someone they care about from a substance-use-related cause. SADODs focus is on increasing the capacity and effectiveness of peer grief support for bereaved people, frontline care providers, people in recovery, and people struggling with drug use. After a death caused by substance use, people experience grief as others do, but substance-use-related deaths can also bring with them unique challenges and hardships. SADODs resources for bereaved individuals address every aspect of grief, and offer an extensive collection of items focused on grief after a substance-use-related death.
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Caring For Yourself Through A Loved Ones Addiction
Having your life turned upside down because of a friends or family members addiction can be frustrating and exhausting. Whether they realize it or not, when a person has become addicted to a substance, it eventually begins to affect every single person around them in one way or another. It is important to remember to make time to care for yourself when dealing with a situation like this. Here are some tips to keep in mind to help care for yourself:
When You Or Your Loved One Are Seeking Help With An Addiction
When it comes to seeking treatment for siblings and addiction, the old saying of the sooner the better is absolutely applicable. The reality is that addiction is an extremely progressive condition and can end up in a worse state very quickly. Though, when seeking treatment for addiction, finding the right fit in a treatment center is critical to having the best chance at success. Since every individual is different in their addiction, it is important to treat their particular difficulties and needs. Finding these types of centers that individualize treatment can be difficult sometimes being that there are so many cookie cutter programs out there, but we can assist with that. Give us a call today and we can help you to find the perfect fit in a treatment center.
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How Parents Can Support The Siblings Of Addicts
When it comes to the family dynamics of addiction, raising the siblings of addicts is difficult for any parent. Parents tend to focus too much energy and effort on the addicted child, which can leave the other children feeling neglected. If left unnoticed, this can lead to resentment and anger, as well as unresolved wounds of trauma.
Therefore, it is important for parents to acknowledge the feelings siblings of addicts may have, be aware of their greater risk of addiction, and provide individual attention to them. Further, parents should consider family therapy to discuss issues about the addiction in the family and review available resources and support groups for parents of addicts.
How Addiction Affects The Family Unit
Before discussing how addiction affects siblings, it is important to understand how it affects the entire family unit. When a family member suffers from addiction, it places an incredible amount of stress on the entire family. In many cases, the addicts behavior and the consequences of that behavior fall on the family.
In many cases, siblings are placed in the position of caregivers for their parents or other siblings. Further, the siblings of addicts often feel ignored and neglected as they deal with their pain and worry. They may also feel guilty for not being able to fix their brother or sister. Siblings need to understand that addiction is a disease and that they cannot cure their siblings. They can, however, provide support to help them get treatment.
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Common Feelings That Siblings Of Addicts Experience
Some common feelings siblings of addicts experience include the following:
- Guilt: They may feel guilty that they cant fix their brother or sister. They may also feel guilty for things they have said or done in the past.
- Anger: The siblings of addicts may feel angry at their brother or sister for putting them through this. They may also be angry at the addicts friends, family members, or anyone else who is involved with the addiction.
- Hopelessness: It can be very discouraging to see your brother or sister struggling with addiction and seem like there is no way to help them. This can lead to a feeling of hopelessness.
- Shame: siblings of addicts often feel ashamed of their brother or sisters behavior and what it is doing to the family name.
