Addiction and family are almost always tied to one another. Although addiction affects the individual using, it also affects the family unit. It’s hard to utilize effective family relationship strategies when an individual within the unit struggles with addiction. Lying, manipulating, and avoiding family are commonly recognized characteristics of an addiction. Fortunately, the addicted individual isn’t the only one who can get help through treatment. In fact, many treatment centers implement programs intended for the healing of the entire family unit. Family therapy programs work to rebuild trust, educate, and provide means of healing.
Which Families Can Benefit from Family Counseling Services?
Not all families will have family counseling services available to them. The ones that require family counseling are the ones that will benefit from it. Families have assessments completed upon enrollment into treatment for many reasons. One reason is to establish a view on family connections and values. Family counseling services can benefit those who are eligible. Those recommended to utilize family counseling services may include:
- Families that need more education on the causes, dangers, and treatment of addiction
- Those that have been negatively affected by the consequences of a family member’s drug use
- Individuals that could benefit from learning alternative ways to effectively communicate
- Families that have experienced negative family issues as a result of drug use
- Individuals who have not gained from other forms of addiction therapy and have not yet experienced family counseling
Addiction and Family Treatment Addressed Through Therapy Goals
Therapy addresses both family and addiction Treatment. Throughout therapy, it’s important to set goals to identify growth and healing. These goals for addiction and family therapy may include:
Effective Communication: Proper communication methods help families to express in the right way. It’s important that both the addicted individual and family members understand how to speak to one another. A little bit of respect goes a long way. And, when the family understands this, communication gets much easier and more effective.
Setting Boundaries: Enabling is a big topic when it comes to addiction and family. This, obviously is usually unintentional. Enabling allows addicted individuals to skip out on the consequences of their actions. Learning how to identify and prevent enabling behaviors can greatly help both families and addicted individuals.
Healing: Families of addicted people are commonly victims of manipulation and lies. During family counseling, it helps to express feelings brought on by addiction. This allows for healing to start so that trust can rebuild.
Education: Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to addiction and family. The more a family knows about addiction, the more they will be able to understand addicted loved ones and addiction. Family counseling aims to teach families about what their addicted loved one is going through.
Addiction and Family Addressed at Asheville Recovery Center
Our clinical director at Asheville Recovery Center specializes in addiction and family services. So, we understand the need for family counseling services. But, we also understand that many individuals come from out of town or state to get treatment. So, we’ve come up with an alternative way to provide family counseling. Before beginning, we set up a schedule that best fits every individual. Then, we utilize communicative software and telephones to bring the family together while their loved one is in treatment. This allows everyone to participate and doesn’t take time out of daily lives for commuting. Once counseling is completed, families can continue to benefit from all they have learned and practiced.
If you think that you and your family can benefit from family counseling, give us a call today! Also, feel free to view our services and drug rehabilitation programs listed on our website. At Asheville Recovery Center, one of the best rehab centers in the region, we believe that addressing both addiction and family together is helpful to recovery! Get the help that you and your family need to recover from addiction today!
