Getting someone you care about to deal with their substance abuse issues can be a frustrating experience. You may feel torn about whether your efforts are helping a family member or drifting into enablement. It can get to a point where you’re afraid to bring up the idea of addiction therapy. Arkview Recovery knows how hard it can be on families with no idea of what to do next. Family therapy is one way we can help you manage the effects of your loved one’s actions.
Encourage Your Loved One to Seek Treatment
There’s no ideal way to offer family support to a loved one. What works for one family unit may not have the same impact on another. Family therapy with a counselor can help you manage the sometimes complicated dynamics that exist between family members.
A therapist can be an effective mediator when it comes to addressing long-simmering issues. They can keep conversations from veering into places that lead to breakdowns in communication and are ultimately unproductive.
Individual family members must find a way of dealing with issues that may be caused by or exacerbated by a loved one’s substance abuse. Getting in a better mental space gives you the capacity to offer family support to the family member struggling with addiction.
Stand By Them During the Treatment Process
Once you’ve gotten your loved one to face up to the reality of their substance use disorder, the next step may be equally as tricky. Ideally, you can get your family member to enroll in a treatment program capable of helping your loved one manage their addiction. Arkview Recovery believes in taking a holistic approach to addressing substance abuse.
That’s why we believe in getting the family involved in the treatment process. Family support can encourage a patient to stick with a program and come out better for their efforts. It’s also a chance to make sure that the family has the resources needed to help them cope with their struggles.
If your loved one decides to enroll in a residential treatment program, you can support them by:
- Making an effort to visit them if the distance is manageable
- Call them or use other communication methods to keep in contact
- Educate yourself about Arkview and the recovery process
- Find sober activities that you and your loved one will enjoy
Provide Assistance During the Post-Treatment Phase
Everything you went to before your loved one’s release should help prepare you for life after rehab. Your loved one may feel vulnerable when they first get out. It can be disorienting to go from a temptation-free environment to being back in the outside world.
Keep in mind that the work isn’t over just because your loved one completed their rehab program. You should consider continuing with family therapy to help you manage the new dynamics between yourself and your newly-sober family member. It can help you manage any tendencies to revert to your old way of communicating that might prove detrimental to your loved one.
Just like your family member has to adjust to living sober, you have to make changes in yourself. We can’t promise that things will immediately be sunshine and roses, but continued family support can be crucial to helping your loved one remain in recovery.
Help Your Family Member Begin Their Recovery
If you are concerned about a family member’s addiction, we can help. At Arkview Recovery, our team believes in the importance of family support while a loved one is in an addiction treatment program. We offer family therapy and addiction therapy options to fit the needs of each individual in our care. Learn more today from our team by calling 717.744.0756 or completing our online form.