Drug abuse affects not only the life and health of the user; it also impacts their relationships. Family issues can slow down recovery from addiction and sometimes lead to a relapse. One way to get involved and support a loved one in the recovery process is through family therapy. Addiction has significant effects on relationships, but therapy helps in healing them. At the addiction treatment programs at Amatus Recovery centers, we can supplement your treatment with our family therapy program. To learn more, contact our team today at [Direct].
Effects of Drug Abuse on Families
The impact of drug abuse on loved ones may vary depending on the behavior of the user. For example, people who engage in dangerous activities like drug trafficking risk their loved ones’ safety. Furthermore, children can lack parental guidance and engage in inappropriate behavior. Such habits include taking part in criminal activities like stealing to provide for themselves. They may even skip school, which can affect their performance. Growing up in a home where people use drugs also exposes them to the risk of abusing substances in the future.
Communication is one of the aspects that help people bond and understand each other. However, individuals that use drugs may avoid interacting with others, especially after an argument or conflict. As a result, many addictions lead one to neglect the family. For example, one may abandon crucial duties, like paying for rent, affecting the entire household.
Benefits of Family Therapy
In the past, most treatment facilities focused on improving the patient’s health but rarely involved others. However, they adopted family therapy after discovering it has a significant effect on recovery. During therapy sessions, the counselor can engage the family in talks that will improve their communication. These conversations also aim at coming up with ways to solve future conflicts. Some of the most significant benefits of family therapy include:
- It helps the user to identify how their behavior affects other people
- Other family members learn how to avoid enabling behavior like keeping drugs at home
- Expressing feelings and thoughts relieves emotional pain and improves mental health
- The therapist can help the family to come up with a support system that will prevent relapse
- It can help to identify factors that influence drug abuse and prevent the behavior from spreading
What to Expect During Family Therapy
A family therapy program begins after the patient shows substantial improvement during drug abuse treatment, which may take several weeks. It involves the person undergoing treatment and at least one family member. They can either be immediate, blended, extended family members, or anyone very close to the patient. One of the things to expect during the sessions is an extensive introduction process. The familiarization is crucial as it allows the therapist to point out the common causes of stress.
Besides, the information assists in coming up with ways to reduce conflict and improve interaction at home. Some of the skills learned in the sessions include how to communicate and maintain boundaries. The members may also need to set goals according to their roles, and the therapist will assess them after some time. This process aims at improving each other’s mental health and working together towards helping the patient recover.
Comprehensive Treatment at TruHealing Centers
Family therapy is one of the essential components of an addiction recovery process. At TruHealing Centers, we offer tailored addiction treatment and a family therapy program. Enrolling for these plans will not only help you recover from addiction; it can also prevent relapse. Besides, family therapy offers loved ones a chance to take part in the recovery journey. Contact TruHealing Centers today at [Direct] to enroll or learn more about our programs.