Family Therapy for Addiction

Drug and alcohol use disorders can significantly impact families by impairing the functioning, health, and overall well-being of the addict and their family members. Just as problems within the family can influence addiction, a supportive family environment can play a crucial role in the recovery process. According to research, over 1 in 10 children under 18 live with at least one adult who has an addiction, and 7.5 million children aged 17 or younger live with a parent with an alcohol use disorder. Research also shows that parental substance abuse caused 38.9% of children to be removed from their homes in 2019. Fortunately, our nationwide rehab facilities offer family therapy for addiction to help spouses, partners, caregivers, children, siblings, and even friends, to recover.

Family programs for drug addiction are designed to offer the spouses, parents, and siblings of the individual the therapy and care they need to recover from the effects of their loved one’s addiction.

Some of these effects may include:

Divorce
Domestic violence
Child neglect or abuse
Financial struggles
Legal issues
Illness
Personal conflict
Trauma

What Is Family Therapy?

Family therapy for drug addiction looks different depending on who’s being treated and the people involved, but it’s ultimately designed to improve family relationships and functioning and to support the person in recovery. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), family therapy – also referred to as counseling for families of addicts – includes interventions that reflect family-level assessments, involvements, and approaches.

Evidence suggests that people who have the support of their families for addiction recovery are more likely to remain in drug and alcohol treatment, stop misusing substances, and sustain their sobriety. For instance, one study showed that couples who participated in behavioral couples therapy experienced improved levels of abstinence from drugs and alcohol and better communication than couples who were in more typical individual-based therapy.

Our family therapy for substance abuse offers benefits like:

Encouraging treatment engagement
Goal setting
Positive communication
Positive reinforcement
Problem-solving
Re-thinking relapse

Other benefits include:

A better understanding of what to expect during treatment and recovery
Reduced risk of relapse
Helping family members understand the importance of taking responsibility for their own emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being
Helping the family make positive changes to support the individual in recovery, such as their patterns of communication or eliminating enabling behavior
Improved treatment retention
Improved understanding of substance use disorders and how they affect loved ones
Increased awareness concerning the warning signs of relapse
Increased family support for the individual in recovery

Moreover, though family involvement in recovery is important, it's not for everyone. After dealing with a loved one’s substance abuse and consequent behavior for so long, some family members might feel emotionally and psychologically drained, fear the unknown, or be hesitant to speak about family problems with a stranger. Regardless of the reason, it might be helpful to try family addiction counseling so each family member can speak one-on-one with a therapist about their concerns.

Questions about our Facilities or Programs?

Our admissions coordinators are available 24/7 to answer any questions you may have as you consider whether treatment at Banyan is right for you or your loved one.

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How Does Family Therapy in Addiction Treatment Work?

Family therapy for addiction can take different forms throughout the treatment process, depending on what the family members need. Our program allows whole families to meet with a therapist while it also allows for individual therapy sessions. Each session lasts about an hour and may be devoted to different topics, depending on the individual’s concerns. Based on the specific issues of the family or individual, therapists leading our support groups for families of addicts may use different techniques, such as:

Behavioral couples therapy (BCT): Intended for married or cohabitating couples where one individual suffers from a drug or alcohol addiction, BCT promotes and rewards abstinence through a “Recovery Contract.” This has the person with the addiction expressing their intent to not use substances and the partner supporting their abstinence. This therapy can help improve communication, reduce stress, and maintain abstinence.
Family behavioral therapy (FBT): FBT is successful for adults and adolescents with substance use disorders. It focuses on how the behaviors of the addict affect the family, explains addiction family roles that members may adopt to cope, and works to change those behaviors by involving the entire family.
Solution-focused brief therapy: This form of family therapy for addiction can help members struggling with co-occurring disorders, which is when an individual suffers from both an addiction and mental illness. While it doesn’t pinpoint the exact reasons for family dysfunction, it instead focuses on finding solutions for specific problems.
Family recovery support groups: Support groups for family members of addicts offer spouses, partners, caregivers, children, siblings, and others a space to connect with others undergoing similar experiences and receive peer support and guidance.

Our Banyan rehabs believe that offering help for families of addicts is a crucial step in recovery because it strengthens the addict’s support system at home by supporting individual family members. Addiction is considered a family disease, meaning it affects an entire home rather than just the individual. If you’re struggling to cope with a loved one’s drug and alcohol use, our nationwide facilities are here for you.

Our Support Groups for Family Members of Addicts

For the sake of our patient’s recovery and their loved ones’ well-being, ongoing support must be provided to both parties. The family dynamics of addiction are often heartbreaking, leading to broken relationships, enabling behaviors, and codependence.

A lack of knowledge concerning substance use disorders can also create a wall between the individual and their loved ones, making recovery even more difficult for both parties. From experience, we know that with the support of their partners, parents, and siblings, our patients thrive when transitioning from rehab to their everyday lives.

The services offered in our family program for addiction include:

Recovery counseling
Addiction education
The Johnson Model of Intervention
Family resources
Weekly support calls
Individual therapy sessions
Relapse prevention education
Improved family communication
Education on codependency and enabling
Opportunities to be involved in the treatment process

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Importance of Support from Families for Addiction Recovery

It can be difficult to accomplish any goal in life when you don’t have the support of those closest to you. Unsupportive family members in recovery can impact the individual’s progress and even contribute to a relapse. If you’re the loved one of an addict, there are several ways of providing help and support during treatment and recovery.

The strategies you employ will differ depending on the circumstances or the type of drug treatment your loved one seeks. Programs also vary in policies and procedures, such as rules concerning phone calls and visiting hours or about sending care packages and letters.

Some things we would like you to remember are:

Your participation and support can make a big difference
You’ll need to be patient while your loved one adjusts to sobriety
Acknowledging your loved one’s successes and milestones can make them feel supported
Make sure you have your own support and make time to care for yourself.

The role of family in addiction recovery cannot be overstated, as it plays a pivotal role in the journey toward sobriety. The unconditional love, understanding, and encouragement that family members offer create a foundation of strength for the individual struggling with addiction. In times of relapse or hardship, the family's unwavering support can be a powerful motivator, inspiring the individual to persevere and stay on the path of recovery. This presence, or lack thereof, can be even more clear when the family is unsupportive of their loved one in treatment.

Furthermore, family involvement fosters open communication and helps in addressing the underlying issues that may contribute to addiction. Family therapy and counseling sessions can create a safe space for both the individual in recovery and their family members to explore the dynamics that may have contributed to the addiction. By understanding and addressing these issues collectively, families can heal together, reinforcing the recovering individual's commitment to a substance-free life. In essence, the power of family lies not only in their ability to support but also in their capacity to contribute to the overall healing process, creating a stronger, more resilient foundation for sustained recovery.

Understanding Family Roles in Addiction

The members of families that have been impacted by addiction will often adopt certain roles or dysfunctional behavioral patterns to cope with their loved one’s substance abuse. There are six common addiction family roles that family members will assume, often without realizing it:

The Addict: This person is the focal point of the family. They are the source of the family’s conflict, as everyone else must deal with their behavior and choices.
The Caretaker: Also known as the enabler, this person often covers up the addict’s mistakes and will make excuses for them to keep everyone happy.
The Hero: This person is typically seen as over-responsible and self-sufficient. The hero attempts to restore the dysfunctional home life behind closed doors.
The Scapegoat: This person is usually known as the “problem child.” Through acts of defiance or hostility, they divert attention from the addict’s behavior.
The Mascot: This person is usually the comedian of the family, using humor and silliness to reduce the stress caused by the addict’s behavior.
The Lost Child: This person is the quiet one of the family, flying under the radar while other family members play more involved roles.

Enabling and codependency are common problems in relationships affected by drug and alcohol addiction. Enabling occurs when one person does something the other person is perfectly capable of doing themself. It’s also characterized by taking responsibility for or trying to cover up another person’s mistakes or actions. Enabling prevents the individual with the problem from accepting the consequences of their behavior, inhibiting them from learning any real lessons.

Codependency is an emotional, behavioral condition that prevents a person from having a healthy and mutually satisfying relationship. People with codependency often form or maintain relationships that are one-sided, emotionally destructive, or abusive. Examples include spouses staying with addicts who are abusive or parents relying on being caretakers of their addicted children.

Based on these roles, it’s understandable why addiction is considered a family disease. Addiction impacts all those who are involved with and care about the addict rather than just the individual.

Are Addictions Genetic?

While addiction undeniably has a genetic component, it is a complex disease influenced by psychological, environmental, and hereditary factors. Research, including studies on twins and adopted individuals, shows that identical twins, who share all their genetic material, are more likely to both develop addiction if one does, compared to fraternal twins who share only 50% of their genes. This indicates a genetic predisposition to addiction, though it is not a guarantee, as environmental factors are also crucial. Specific genetic variations in dopamine receptors and neurotransmitter transporters linked to the brain's reward pathway may increase susceptibility to addiction. Nonetheless, environmental factors like parenting, exposure to substances, social networks, and stress levels significantly impact the likelihood of developing addiction, highlighting that genetics alone do not fully explain the phenomenon.

Family Programming for Veterans and Their Loved Ones

Our family program is designed to educate the people closest to our veterans about the disease of addiction and the road to recovery. It can be difficult, if not impossible, for a person to recover from addiction without the support of their family, so we make every effort to include them in the recovery process. Group family meetings, along with the Family Addiction Education and Support Groups, give veterans in addiction recovery and their families a chance to repair the bonds that were damaged by addiction – and build new, positive relationships that enhance the lives of everyone. Our individual therapy sessions also enable those in recovery to explore the dysfunctional family dynamics that may underlie some of their substance abuse or mental health issues – and address them in a new way.

Finding Family Therapy Near Me

Our family therapy for addiction is offered to the family members of and clients in our treatment programs. Once the individual is medically stable and undergoing individual therapy, our team incorporates family services at each facility as an option to aid recovery.

For more information about our other options for addiction treatment for yourself or a loved one, contact Banyan Treatment Centers today. Call us at (855) 908-0663 to get started.

Available at the Following Locations

Alaska

Outpatient Substance Use Disorder

Banyan Alaska

4701 Begich Circle
Wasilla, AK 99654

Family Program and Services

Family Therapy for Addiction

What Is Family Therapy?

Questions about our Facilities or Programs?

How Does Family Therapy in Addiction Treatment Work?

Our Support Groups for Family Members of Addicts

Getting into treatment is easy with our free insurance verification

Importance of Support from Families for Addiction Recovery

Understanding Family Roles in Addiction

Are Addictions Genetic?

Family Programming for Veterans and Their Loved Ones

Finding Family Therapy Near Me

Available at the Following Locations

Banyan Alaska

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