Group Therapy For Family Members Of Addicts To Start Healing

• Becoming Conscious Of Family Dynamics: Unhealthy family patterns will contribute to continued alcohol and drug use. Everyone in the family should be treated and attend the group theraphy for family members of addicts to achieve the most positive result.
• Enhancing Communication: In a family environment where there may have been no communication or poor emotional involvement, improved communication is necessary and will need investment by those interested in the most successful recovery results. This can be initiated through group theraphy for family members of addicts.
• Regaining Trust: Substance abuse and dishonesty sometimes go hand in hand. Family members may not want to open their hearts or their wallets to help a loved one who has betrayed their trust. Improved communication, honesty, and seeing positive changes can help mend this gap.
• Sharing Feelings: During active addiction, bridges can be burned. Family members may be furious but helpless to show it. They may worry about relapse, or they may be thrilled at the chance of reconciliation. It takes time to learn how to balance, recognize and express these feelings. All of these can start by doing group theraphy for family members of addicts.
• Setting Boundaries: This applies to everyone involved. Defining boundaries is not simple. But it is a crucial step toward healthy recovery for the family. This may involve detaching from any family member is in active addiction.
• Learning Self-Care: In addiction treatment, the focus is on the person with the addiction. During group theraphy for family members of addicts, a spouce or parent may discover that they need help, too. They may be advised to try Al-Anon, Nar-Anon or other mutual help groups in addition to getting an individual therapist.

Goals Of Group Therapy For Family Members Of Addicts

There are two main goals in family therapy or group therapy for family members of addicts. The first goal is to help everyone give the right kind of support to the family member in addiction treatment so that recovery sticks and relapse is avoided. The second goal is to strengthen the whole family’s emotional health so that everyone can grow. Specific objectives for family therapy are unique to each family, and these objectives may change over time. The family decides for itself what to focus on and when.

• From distrust to reconciliation
• From guilt to forgiveness
• From stress to strength
• From frustration to understanding
• From despair to hope
• From sadness to support
• From anger to peace
• From conflict to agreement
• From crisis to resolution

Supporting A Loved One Dealing With Addiction

When a family member is drinking too much, using drugs, or struggling with a mental disorder, your support can be key to getting them the treatment they need. Starting the conversation is the first step to getting help.

When a family member is drinking too much, using drugs, or struggling with a mental disorder, your support can be key to getting them the treatment they need. Starting the conversation is the first step to getting help.

Family Therapy Vs Family Education

Family therapy is more than family education. Many behavioral health programs conduct education sessions for families on such topics as a particular mental illness, alcohol and drug addiction, treatment, relapse, and recovery. Families can use this information to better understand what is happening, how it might affect them, and what to do to help the family member in treatment.

Education is essential, but many families also need help applying the information they have learned. Family therapy gives a neutral and safe space in which everyone learns how to adjust to life with a member recovering from addiction; the same goes with group therapy for family members of addicts. The therapist helps the family make changes so that members support each other and treat each other with respect, stop enabling unhealthy behaviors, and learn to trust each other.

Working with a specially trained therapist, family members analyze how they act with one another. They look at whether they are handling themselves in ways that are helpful or hurtful.

More often, a family has problems that have been stored behind the drama of addiction and/or mental illness. These problems rise to the surface once the person with a behavioral health disorder goes into treatment. The family therapist can help the family talk together to resolve concerns and mend relationships. Moreover, the family therapist can refer members of the family to individual counseling if they need or request it.