Drug and alcohol addiction affects the entire family, not just an individual. It can be difficult seeing your loved one losing themselves in substance abuse and it can be just as hard to deal with the mix of emotions you experience including shame, guilt, and anger.
Addiction in the family can disrupt the family dynamic and give rise to conflict especially where the drug or alcohol-dependent member refuses to address the addiction. They may become angry and hostile when confronted about their behavior or they may become more withdrawn and secretive. This gradually affects communication in the family as the rest of the members may either go into denial about the problem or opt to avoid conflict by enabling the individual.
Trust may also be broken as the person dealing with addiction fails to maintain their responsibilities and keeps breaking promises. Things can get worse if the addiction starts to affect the family’s financial situation. The individual may get fired from their job or they may resort to unscrupulous means such as stealing from family members or selling off household items and property to finance their habit.
All this puts an incredible strain on the family and left unchecked, can destroy the family unit. However, with the right professional help, you can rebuild your bond while supporting your loved one’s recovery.
Family Therapy Can Help Rebuild Trust and Communication
At the Grand Falls Center for Recovery, we know how crucial family is to the recovery process. We also understand how addiction can affect the family dynamic and offer family therapy or counseling as part of our addiction treatment programs.
Family therapy is a form of counseling that aims to help families rebuild relationships that have been damaged by addiction. Through sessions guided by a family therapist, the family can work through conflict, learn to communicate better, and understand each other’s perspectives.
This type of therapy provides a safe space for family members to open up about their thoughts, feelings, and experiences with their loved one’s addiction. Additionally, as they learn about addiction and work on uncovering the root causes, they may develop empathy and compassion for their loved one, learn how to set healthy boundaries as well as provide the support needed for their loved one’s recovery.
Family therapy offers those in recovery a chance to rebuild the bond they had with their families by rebuilding trust and communication. It may be difficult to hear how their addiction and consequent behavior affected those closest to them, but this may provide the motivation they need to get clean or sober.
Get Help Today
Don’t let addiction destroy your family. Help is available at Grand Falls Center for Recovery. As the premier addiction treatment center in Missouri, we provide a range of drug and alcohol treatment programs for those struggling with addiction. We offer a full continuum of care from detox to inpatient treatment and rehab aftercare programs for those who need them.
Contact us today to learn how our programs can help rebuild your family.