You might wonder why an entire family has to go through addiction treatment when only one person has a substance abuse problem. The difference is the addicted individual undergoes substance abuse treatment because they have to as part of their recovery.On the other hand, the goal of family addiction treatment is to identify and meet the psychological and emotional needs of all family members, who suffered the stress that comes with having an addicted family member.
Family members also serve as a help source to the treatment process, as they are directly impacted by the patient's drug abuse, and they can, likewise, have a positive impact on the patient. As such, they are in an ideal support position to help the individual recover, and thereby, remedy their own issues.
Family addiction treatment involves a variety of therapeutic applications of family-level assessment and intervention. This type of treatment uses family strengths to effect change within the realm of identifying progress in the patient, and using recommended strategies learned in therapy sessions to help the addicted individual through difficult periods of the withdrawal process. The aim is for everyone to recover from the effects of substance abuse.
In essence, family addiction treatment services help families recover from the trauma of a loved one's substance addiction. In many cases where an individual needs in-patient detox, family addiction support prepares them for the process, in terms of what types of withdrawal symptoms to expect, and the various mood swings the patient will experience--and how to handle these instances.
Here are several sites I found helpful in my research:
- Treatment Improvement Protocols (Bookshelf)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse
- NCADD (National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence)
There may be only one addict in the house, however, the effects of addiction touch everyone who lives there. Getting help can also deter the common problem of co-dependency.
Married couples traditionally enter these programs together, one spouse participating in supporting the other. However, co-dependency poses a unique problem in common law relationships, often requiring both partners to enter into treatment. Persons living in common-law relationships do not feel a moral obligation to endure certain hardships for and with the other partner. Whereas, married couples feel a sense of duty and obligation, on the grounds of the "in sickness and in health" principle.
An addicted family member has a harsh and adverse effect on others around them, especially when violence happens as a result. For instance, the sober parent suffers verbal or physical abuse from the alcohol-addicted parent. In these instances, studies show that children suffer severe problems when abused by a drug-addicted parent.
Family addiction treatment involves a variety of therapeutic approaches that are important because it prepares families to serve as a source of help in the treatment process, a support system, to help the individual recover, and thereby, remedy their own issues.
In many cases, ongoing family therapy is necessary, depending on the extent of addiction and substance abuse. Extreme cases of an addiction risk relapse, in which case the educational preparation equips families with procedural recourse. Therefore, continued family treatment is recommended for the patient's prolonged recovery.
Researched and compiled by the blog author.
Copyright © 2015 by Peggy Hatchet James
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