There’s an incredible sense of relief that comes with knowing your loved one is in addiction treatment. You don’t have to worry about them drinking or doing drugs, and you don’t have to stay up late wondering where they are. But life after your loved one enters rehab can feel a lot like dealing with the aftermath of a tornado – somehow, you have to figure out how to pick up all the pieces and put them back together again.
Doing this is no small feat, which is why The Raleigh House offers support services for families throughout the addiction recovery process.
What is Family Therapy for Addiction?
Addiction oftentimes leaves families with more questions than answers. For example, why couldn’t your loved one stop drinking or using drugs on their own? And what are you supposed to say to them and how are you supposed to act once they’re out of treatment?
Family support, education, and communication with The Raleigh House team and your loved one gives families like yours a safe space to seek answers to their questions, process their heartache and hope, and learn how to move forward in recovery. Once your loved one has built a solid foundation in treatment, family therapy can provide the tools to rebuild your life together.
The Benefits of Family Support for Addiction
If your loved one’s addiction has you feeling overwhelmed, family therapy can provide the support you need. This kind of support offered at The Raleigh House can lead to the following benefits:
- Self-reflection and safe communication. As part of the Raleigh House Family Education program, you may be invited to complete weekly exercises that will be shared with your loved one and their therapist. This is an opportunity for you to reflect on how addiction has impacted you and your family, to express feelings and concerns you have been hesitant to talk about, and to ask questions about next steps in the recovery process. These exercises are designed to give the family a voice in a safe setting while building new bridges between you and your loved one.
- Education about your loved one’s addiction. There’s a lot about your loved one’s addiction that you probably don’t know or understand. For example, it’s possible that their substance abuse is fueled by an underlying mental health disorder like depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. While you can’t actually walk in your loved one’s shoes, the education provided is the next best thing. You’ll receive answers to all your questions and learn what you need to know to approach your loved one’s addiction and recovery with patience and understanding.
- A support system you can lean on for advice. Addiction is extremely isolating. Any shame or guilt you experienced may have prevented you from talking to someone about what your family has gone through. Luckily, family therapy can remove these types of feelings. You’ll have access to other families like yours in family education meetings and The Raleigh House app who can lend their support when you need it and offer advice when you have questions or concerns.
- Development of healthy recovery habits. Your loved one will need your love and support when they graduate from treatment, but what does that mean? What are you supposed to say or do in order to keep them from relapsing? In family therapy, you’ll talk about what your loved one will need in recovery and work on developing healthy behaviors and habits of communication that support long-term recovery.
While you and your family may also need to heal on their own, addiction treatment can also include sessions working directly with your loved one. This will all depend on the pace of your loved one’s treatment and clinical appropriateness. If you and your loved one are ready to communicate with one other, our team will moderate thoughtful sessions between the two of you, help you to better understand one another, and assist in developing healthy relapse prevention strategies for recovery.
The Raleigh House Can Help Your Family Heal from Addiction
Have you struggled to get past the pain and suffering addiction has caused? At The Raleigh House, we know firsthand how devastating substance abuse and dual diagnosis disorders are to the entire family system. That’s why our unique east to west approach includes family therapy and support. While your loved one is getting the treatment they need, we can help you deal with the aftermath, pick up the pieces and prepare you to help your loved one maintain a fulfilling, sober lifestyle after rehab.
If your loved one needs help, don’t wait another minute. Contact our admissions team today to learn how to get them into treatment.
