When it comes to addiction and family dynamics, there is no doubt drug use can impact every person in a household. Most often, a person using drugs doesn’t recognize this and doesn’t intend for it to happen. Yet, it is critical to realize what’s happening within your family so you can take action to treat it. At Serenity Light Recovery, we offer addiction therapy that can include family therapy sessions so everyone can heal.
What Happens with Addiction and Family?
Addiction changes everyone it touches even if you never use drugs or alcohol yourself. Watching a parent using drugs puts kids at risk for engaging in these activities. That’s because kids see it as a normal part of living and feel free to engage in it.
When teens or young adults are using drugs, it stresses parents because of their difficult decision. Do they push their child out of their home with tough love or keep giving them a place to live while they use? There are many other scenarios like these that can happen.
When it comes to the impact of addiction and family makeup, consider these common concerns:
- Trust is broken especially when one person promises to stop using and does not do so
- Fear and anxiety about a person’s health and life will impact lives
- A lack of understanding is common – many people in the family unit may not understand why this is happening
- All of the responsibility for caring for the family may fall on one person’s shoulders, making their life difficult
- Financial strain can also impact the way people talk to each other and believe in each other especially when one person continues to struggle for the other’s mistakes
Are these things happening in your family right now? What has addiction taken from you and your loved ones? There’s no doubt you could be feeling overwhelmed and unsure of the next steps to take. The good news is addiction therapy can help.
Professional Help for Addiction and Family Issues
If you and your loved one are struggling to remain a family because of addiction, it may be time to get help from a professional. This often includes getting professional help to break the dependence on the drug. To do this, many people need formal treatment, such as:
- Drug addiction treatment
- Residential treatment programs
- Intensive outpatient program
- Extended stay treatment
- Outpatient treatment programs
Once a person is working on improving their health through these programs, it becomes possible to start working on the addiction and family dynamic link. This is not easy for anyone involved, but it tends to be worth the hard work for many families.
Incorporating Family Therapy into Treatment
Addiction therapy can include family therapy. This is one type of treatment in which people can come into the counseling sessions and work together on overcoming challenges. This is not the type of experience where a family member will simply scold you and make you feel bad for what you’ve done. Rather, it is about learning about addiction and learning how to manage a new disease.
For many people entering into addiction therapy, family support is a key component. While addiction and family relationships tend not to work well together, during recovery you have the ability to start rebuilding.
Overcoming Addiction with Family Therapy at Serenity Light Recovery
When you’re facing addiction and family struggles, that’s a good indication that now is the time to get help. Our team at Serenity Light Recovery offers the addiction therapy you need for personal healing and addiction treatment as well as family therapy. This may help your family to heal and overcome the changes this disease brings into your life. Learn more by calling our team at (281) 431-6700 for help.
As our CEO, Heather’s main calling is to stay true to the vision of the organization, which is saving lives and striving to redefine statistics by raising the standard of care with evolving treatment methods. Heather studied psychology at LSU and both the main and Clear Lake campuses of the University of Houston, and she is a certified IASIS provider and CPI instructor. She’s been helping people in recovery since 2011. Heather’s motto to live by is “I am not what I’ve done; I am what I’ve overcome.”
