Family Therapy

Family therapy for addiction is a special kind of group therapy where only family members are involved. The group thus consists of the therapist leading the session, the person abusing substances, and their family members. The therapist is there to help you navigate conflicts and challenges as a team.

This mode of therapy is based on the idea that all families share a connection. Addiction, then, affects your family members as much as it affects you. Therefore, treatment should extend to your family members as well. A healthy relationship with family can play a major role in recovery, which is why all rehab participants and their family members are encouraged to participate.

What is the goal of family therapy in rehab?

Although family therapy is effective for many types of problems, it’s especially helpful for treating addiction. If you have an issue with substance use, it can strain the bonds you have with your family members. Family therapy for addiction can help you repair ties with your loved ones. But it’s not all about you making amends: it can also help them understand your problem. Your therapist will teach you and your family how to cope with addiction in the family together.

Whereas individual therapy focuses on issues affecting only you, family therapy focuses on how addiction has affected your relationships. Those who practice family therapy believe that problems occur between people rather than within people. So one of the goals of this mode of therapy is to address interpersonal problems.

For example, your therapist might identify a fugitive/detective dynamic, which is common in many families. The fugitive is typically a young adult who is lying or hiding things; the detective might be a parent or guardian who is trying to figure them out. Your therapist will explain these roles and how they have affected your family as a whole.

In addition to helping deal with addiction, family therapy is also beneficial in the cases of:

• mental illness in a family member
• problems in school
• arguments about money
• divorce or separation
• issues with a child’s behavior
• caring for a disabled family member
• the general conflict between family members

The main goal of family therapy for addiction, however, is not to put the blame for the consequences of addiction on any one person. Instead, it is possible to validate your family’s experiences of addiction without alienating or hurting you and vice versa. You should be working together to resolve conflict, not fighting against each other.

Family therapy for addiction is typically short-term, lasting for about 12 sessions. How many sessions you need, though, will depend on the seriousness of the addiction and your family’s situation. During family therapy sessions, you will:

1. explore different behavior patterns, family roles, and rules to pinpoint problems that could’ve led to family conflict and addiction
2. recognize each family member’s weaknesses and strengths in interpersonal relations
3. work on the issues that have arisen due to addiction
4. teach your family members how to help in the recovery process
5. improve your family’s ability to communicate emotions and thoughts and solve problems productively

Depending on what your family responds to, your therapist may take different therapeutic approaches in family therapy sessions. However, the two main methods are the ones you will be familiar with from group and individual therapy:

• dialectical behavior therapy for addiction (or talk therapy), which uses guided discussion to identify problem behaviors, motivate participants to change, and give them the confidence to do so
• CBT treatment plan for addiction, which aims to identify disordered thinking patterns and their triggers, then reprogram the brain into directing its energy toward healthier and more productive coping mechanisms instead

Your first family therapy session

It’s helpful to know what to expect before you go to family therapy for the first time. You won’t have to wait long to find out for yourself, however, because family therapy for addiction will typically begin just a few weeks after you’ve entered substance abuse treatment.

Each session will last from 50 minutes to an hour. Your therapist will start by asking you and your family questions to understand your situation. These can cover when the substance abuse began, how your family dealt with it, and how they view your issues. Afterward, your counselor will work out goals and a treatment plan for you and your family. Even when fully successful, however, family therapy won’t make all your problems disappear. Instead, it will provide you with tools to cope with family conflict and help you understand each other better. You’re also likely to feel much closer to one another after you’ve completed your sessions. This can help you in recovery by giving you a stronger support system to rely on.

 Addiction is a disease that impacts everyone around you — your friends, coworkers, and especially family. Even when they are kept secret, the actions that fuel your abuse, such as sneaking drugs into the house or stealing money to buy drugs, indirectly involve your family in your addiction. The effects of the substances you take make you unaware of the devastation you inflict on the ones you love. But your substance use can bring your family plenty of legal and financial troubles, affecting their everyday lives.

Addiction also heavily impacts marriages. When you take your vows, you promise to love each other for better or for worse, but you also promise to be open and honest. Drugs and alcohol, unfortunately, can turn you into a different person — someone who lies, cheats and steals. These personality changes can take a toll on your marriage. If you have children, they will suffer the negative effects too.

The impact of addiction on children

One in 5 children grows up in a home where one or both parents have a substance use disorder.  When children see their parents while on drugs or drinking, this can be traumatic for them. Studies show that compared with children with non-addict parents, they’re three times more likely to be abused sexually or physically and neglected. Seeing their parents’ behavior while in an altered state can also lead children to become mentally or emotionally unstable.

When parents are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they’re more likely to cause arguments. This can cause great distress in any children present at the time. If these arguments also feature aggressive and violent behavior, the effects on children are even worse. Witnessing this can make children feel guilty and even cause them to blame themselves for their parents’ behavior. This is a form of childhood trauma that can leave lasting consequences.

Finally, children of addicts are more likely to themselves become addicts. This is due to both genetic and epigenetic factors in addiction. Research shows that genetics play an important role in substance abuse – around 40-60% of substance abuse disorders is down to hereditary traits. This makes children of addicts genetically predisposed to addiction. Environmental factors like childhood trauma, growing up around substances, and poverty associated with addiction only exacerbate this.

The importance of having support during addiction recovery

When discussing addiction in the family, the focus is often on how other family members are affected by one’s substance abuse. But family relations are a two-way street. Your addiction does, indeed, have an impact on your family. However, your family can also have an impact on your addiction and recovery.

Having a support system to rely on is vital for people who struggle with substance abuse. Without support, you are far more likely to fall into old habits and relapse even after treatment. A good relationship with your family can help prevent that. Your close family members can inspire you to seek treatment, be there for you when you’re struggling, and support you during recovery. So family therapy is not just for their benefit but also yours. While it will help you make amends for your mistakes, it’ll also teach your family how to best care for you when you’re struggling.

Studies show that family therapy for addiction can have a positive impact on you and your loved ones. You will learn about how your actions have affected your loved ones, and they will start to understand your addiction and treatment. In doing so, your family will develop better communication skills and learn how to address strong and troubling feelings without escalating conflict.

Family therapy also gives you a chance to address any mental health issues in the family. Whether it’s you or your loved ones suffering from mental illness, your therapist will teach you how to cope with the effects of it and navigate family life with mental disorders.

Finally, family therapy for addiction can also help other family members who may be struggling with addiction. Addiction often runs in the family. If you abuse substances, there’s a good chance someone else in your family does. Families that are aware of addiction among their loved ones will be better able to notice signs of addiction, prevent the abuse from escalating, and offer adequate support.

Accessing family therapy while attending treatment at Harmony Ridge

Family therapy is a part of standard care at Harmony Ridge Recovery Center. You’ll have the option to participate in it no matter the type of addiction you are being treated for or the level of care you are receiving. Since all of our programs include therapy, they can all accommodate family therapy:

• If you are in an inpatient drug rehab in WV, your family will be invited to visit you at our facility and participate in some of your therapy sessions.
• As a participant in our partial hospitalization program WV, you can have family members attend a portion of your daily treatment for a family therapy session.
• If you attend our intensive outpatient program West Virginia, you can bring your family members to certain therapy sessions as agreed upon with your therapist.