A drug or alcohol addiction is a struggle that doesn’t only hurt the addict in question; in fact, it’s extremely common for the addict to ultimately hurt their family and friends emotionally and even physically. Families are often the primary victims next to the addict—they deal with the pain of watching their loved one suffer, first and foremost, while also being lashed out at when trying to help.
So how can an addict and their family be healed through the recovery process? How can the addict reconnect with their family despite past confrontations? Can they be helped to look past the words and actions that went too far? It takes a certain level of commitment and willingness to forgive and follow through some possible methods.
Rebuild Your Family Ties
A family that is segmented and broken apart cannot expect to recover together. The first crucial step for an addict and their family is to be willing to make amends and try to connect after becoming distant due to an addiction. The family may still hurt from wrongs committed by the addict in question, but the solitude may hurt the addict as well.
An addict must be willing to admit that their mistakes have hurt their family, but the family must also be willing to forgive and move on with the addict. If the addict in question is truly willing to let go of their addiction, rebuilding ties is an important step to move forward. Moving away can instead leave regrets and lingering grief for both an addict and the family leaving them behind.
Support Each Other
Having pillars of support on both ends of this spectrum is imperative to properly undergo the stages of healing and therapy. The family should be willing to support their addicted loved one with faith in their ability to follow through with their recovery, and the addict should provide reassurances and a true sense of enthusiasm to recover.
Families are highly encouraged to play a big role in an addict’s recovery process, not only to help the family come to terms with what has happened but also to play a large role and focus in an addict’s motivation. It has been found that family involvement is capable of strengthening and extending treatment benefits for drug addicts.
Heal Together
Rebuilding bonds and reestablishing support for one another are important precursors for the family to reconnect and to be able to reach the ultimate step: healing together.
While an addict deals with the shame of an addiction (and the physical and psychological health problems that come with it), family members deal with their own share of problems in the recovery process. They may often feel guilt and blame themselves for their loved one’s addiction, as well as deal with the pain of watching someone close suffer while feeling powerless to do anything.
This is why family addiction programs exist—to focus on both the healing of the addict and the healing of the family involved. And by working close together, the recovery process can be more effective, more beneficial, and help form an overall much healthier family relationship.
If you find yourself involved with a family struggling with someone fighting a drug or alcohol addiction, consider searching for your local Treatment & Rehab program in Tennessee. You may also consider Discovery Place’s own Family Matters Workshop and Long Term Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Program in Burns, Tennessee. Call for a free consultation at 1-800-725-0922.
