When someone struggles with addiction, it often affects the things and people around them, as well. This can include family, friends, school, work, and more. Often, those closest to someone struggling with addiction, though, are the family. Parents, siblings, and children of those with an addiction will start noticing changes in behaviour and even how the person treats them – especially when they live together.
The good news is that while we have many different forms of therapy to help those with an addiction, we can also offer support to the family. Whether it’s a child, sibling, or parent struggling, family therapy can help everyone resolve issues like hurt, resentment, neglect, and more. Read on to learn more about family therapy and how it can help those with an addiction.
Addiction Therapy
Everyone is different and therefore handles addiction differently. It also depends on the substance of choice, how long they’ve been using it, and the severity of the addiction. This is why there are so many different techniques and forms of therapy.
Our counsellors here at Lily Recovery specialize in multiple and work with each individual to create a personalized treatment plan. If necessary, this includes family therapy.
Some of our specialties include:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Trauma-Informed Therapy
- Solutions-Focused Brief Therapy
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Anger Management
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Therapy
- Holistic Therapy
- Group Therapy
- And more
These forms of therapy are usually conducted in one-on-one sessions, of which you’ll have several each week during your stay. Group therapy takes place throughout the week, as well, and these sessions take place with the other women in the program.
We offer both individual and group therapy in tandem as they are both proven effective. They’re also proven to complement each other well, with topics discussed in group therapy being taken further during individual sessions, for example.
Family therapy is another option if it’s warranted and necessary. It’s something you’ll have to agree to, as well as your family. While family therapy is extremely beneficial in many cases, it’s only useful if everyone involved is willing and open.
Family Therapy Benefits
When used as part of a more comprehensive addiction recovery program, family therapy offers many benefits. It can help repair and maintain some of the most important relationships in your life:
- Improve communication. Whether parent or child, addiction within the family usually leads to limited, negative, and strained communication. This can cause relationships to break down and resentments to grow and fester. Family therapy can help all members re-open the lines of communication and learn how to talk to each other again.
- Work through negative emotions. Depending on how long the addiction has been around, emotions like anxiety, anger, resentment, guilt, worry, and so much more can take hold of all family members. Therapy is the perfect place to address these things and bring them out into the open.
- Create structure and boundaries. When substance abuse is brought into a home, the family dynamic can begin to lack structure and boundaries may be crossed. Family therapy can help you re-establish boundaries and create a healthy structure and routine, which is especially good for the kids.
- Work through denial. Family members may be in denial about their loved one’s problem. This is especially common when a child is struggling with addiction – parents struggle to accept that anything is going on. Therapy can help everyone accept the reality and face it head-on.
- Reduce enabling. Many times, close family members enable the one struggling with addiction, often without even knowing it. Dealing with the changes in behaviour can be challenging, and it’s tempting to start “walking on eggshells” to prevent blow-ups or worsening behaviour. A therapist can work with the family to reduce enabling from the rest of the family and teach them how to properly support their loved one.
- Improves motivation. The progress that can be made with the whole family can boost the spirits of the one in rehab. This can increase their motivation to stay in therapy and continue getting better.
- Educates family members. Family members often feel confused and overwhelmed, in addition to everything else they’re doing through. Family therapy helps parents, children, and siblings learn more about what their loved one is going through. This increases understanding and compassion, which is a good first step to reconciliation and forgiveness.
- Reduces stress. Lastly, this is a stressful time for everyone in the family. Going through addiction and recovery is stressful, as is worrying about your loved one in rehab. Participating in regular therapy can ease the stress on everyone as visible progress is made.
Family members are not only participating in the process but become equipped to help their loved one continue in recovery once their time in rehab is over. These are some of the many benefits you’ll see as you go through therapy as a family.
Family therapy looks different for each family unit. Ideally, the entire family agrees to therapy, but no one can be forced. The therapy program may consist of group sessions with everyone, and/or various sessions with smaller groups or pairs of people, depending on what’s needed.
The therapist may also want to meet with each member individually. These are all things that will be discussed and explored during the early stages of treatment and therapy.
Consider Family Therapy For Complete Healing
Addiction recovery is a long and complex journey and healing relationships with family and loved ones is paramount. Family therapy is instrumental in opening the lines of communication and making everyone feel more comfortable.
Our program here at Lily Recovery is comprehensive with multiple forms of therapy available. We offer a safe, quiet, and comfortable environment where we accept only ten women at any time. We work closely with each individual to give them the precise and effective therapy that they and their families need. Please reach out to us today with any questions or concerns and we’ll offer as much guidance as we can.
