If your loved one is living with addiction, it can be hard to wrap your head around their behavior. You may see how it affects your life and realize you’re also struggling to cope. If it’s time for addiction treatment, then it is time to explore the benefits of family therapy.
A family therapy program can help your loved one get more out of treatment. And it can educate you on addiction, stigma, and its effect on your family. Take a closer look at the benefits and methods behind family therapy for addiction. Call The Right Step Houston at 1.844.768.0169 – we are ready to answer your questions and get you started on the path back to sobriety.
The Stigma of Addiction
The stigma surrounding addiction is harmful to people touched by addiction. It’s difficult enough to watch your loved one struggle with substances. It hurts even more to hear people insulting them or demeaning them.
The stigma surrounding addiction can cause the following misconceptions:
- That addiction is a choice
- That people with addiction are morally bankrupt
- That people with addiction are weak-willed
- That addiction is a death sentence
These are harmful and untrue. Addiction is a disease that should be treated with care and compassion. What may have started as a choice can quickly become a habit and dependency. At that stage, a person will continue to use a harmful addictive substance even when they rationally know it is causing negative outcomes in their life. They cannot help it, and they need professional addiction treatment, like the family therapy for addiction that can be found at The Right Step Houston. Call 1.844.768.0169 to learn more.
As a family, you may also catch the blame for your loved one’s addiction. Others may ask what you did to cause it or why you didn’t try harder to stop it. These hurtful comments can make you withdraw from others. You may be surprised to hear negative comments from the people you’re closest to.
Stigma can make it hard to know where to turn for help. You may suffer in silence as you worry about your loved one’s safety. Stigma may leave you feeling isolated and socially rejected.
The Benefits of Family Therapy
In family therapy, every family group is viewed as a system. When a family system has unhealthy patterns, addiction is harder to manage. It’s not enough for just the individual to get treatment. The system must also change.
Family therapy works toward these two goals:
- Teach family members about addiction and treatment. Families learn how addiction works and how it has affected their loved one.
- Help families work together. Family members learn to shift beliefs and behavior patterns in positive ways. They also learn how to cope with emotions and support each other. As the family system gets healthier, it becomes safer and more supportive.
Family therapy doesn’t take away all the problems, but it can equip each person with more knowledge and coping skills. Addiction family therapy often includes social time as well as therapy sessions.
Therapy helps families make changes in the following ways:
- Engaging family members—Helping each person see the value and purpose of therapy
- Relational reframing—Teaching family members to see problems in the context of relationships
- Family behavior change—Teaching new behaviors and skills (communicating, sharing feelings, setting boundaries)
- Family restructuring—Talking about unspoken rules and beliefs that can cause harm, promoting trust and openness
Consider Family Therapy for Addiction at The Right Step Houston
If you or your loved one is living with addiction, we can help. The Right Step Houston’s family therapy program can help you navigate life in recovery. Have questions about treatment and recovery? Call us today at 1.844.768.0169.