Family members might struggle for years with an addiction issue before they begin to start looking for answers. For example, in a study in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, researchers found that wives of alcoholic men spend an average of seven years dealing with the problem drinking issue before they began asking for help. At the end of a long struggle like this, when the addicted person enters a treatment program, families might feel as though they can relax and allow the addicted person to take over.

While it’s true that an addicted person does the lion’s share of work in a rehab program for addiction, family members also have a role to play in ensuring that the healing moves forward as planned.

Support Is Vital

Going through rehab can be challenging, as the addicted person will be forced to deal with painful subjects that he/she might have suppressed for years or even for decades. Recovering from specific types of addictions can also be challenging, as these drugs may cause physical discomfort. People in recovery from these drugs might be tempted to start using again, just to make the cravings for drugs disappear. Therapists and addiction experts can help people with therapy and medications, but the family can also help by remaining positive and supportive. A study in the Journal of Substance Abuse found that longer stints spent in treatment were associated with better recovery outcomes, so families must do their part to support the person, to ensure that he/she sticks with treatment. They can do this by:

• Offering rides to and from treatment
• Listening, whenever the addicted person wants to talk
• Praising even small steps made toward recovery
• Staying sober and removing temptation from the household

Learning Is Important

During rehab, the addicted person is learning a significant amount about how addictions form, and how they can be managed. This can be vital information for family members to know about and understand, but the addicted person might not be keen to discuss those lessons in detail. Family members can obtain their own education through attending family therapy sessions with the person they love, or they can ask the person’s therapist for recommendations on books and videos about addiction. This self-study can provide family members with valuable insight about the issues the person they love is dealing with, right now.

Family members might also have their own issues to work through and trauma to process. Sometimes, support group meetings can help family members learn how to let go of their pain and move forward with life, whether or not the person they love chooses to stay sober. Al-Anon meetings can be of great help, and meetings are often held within the community, and there are no membership fees. Addiction counselors can suggest meeting times, or an Internet search might reveal meetings held in nearby locations.

If you’d like to know more about family therapy for addictions, or support group meetings for people impacted by addiction, please contact us at Axis. Our counselors are happy to answer any questions you might have. We can also discuss our addiction treatment process, helping you to understand if the assistance we provide is right for the person you love. Please call us today.