3 Ways To Help Families With Addiction
Addiction is a common issue around the world. Chances are you know someone with an addiction, or you face the problem head-on within your own family. However, recovery is possible. In fact, 20.9 million people with a substance use disorder are now living in recovery from drugs or alcohol.
But what isn’t discussed as much is how addiction affects the family. Family members who have an addict in the family may be looking for ways to cope. We’ll look at three ways to help families with addiction learn to manage it.
1. Learn To Set Boundaries
Setting healthy boundaries can be challenging, but it is essential to set boundaries with someone with a substance use disorder in the family for everyone’s healing. Learning to set boundaries with someone with an addiction is good for you and will benefit them.
Generally, people tend to allow the person with an addiction to lie, cheat, or steal from them because they love them. However, allowing this toxic behavior to continue fuels their addiction even more.
Setting firm boundaries with this person may be tricky, so try to catch them when they are sober so that you can have a conversation with them about what you expect. It’s often more manageable if you can get more of the family on board with you, not as an attack but as a family discussion.
Ensure you come from a place of love and not blame or anger. Then let your loved one know what you will no longer accept.
For example, tell them that you will no longer loan them any money or that if they get into trouble with the law, you will not help them get out of it. Let them know that you will no longer accept disrespectful words or actions. As difficult as this conversation may be, giving yourself peace of mind is important, and it may be enough to influence your loved one to seek help.
2. Learn More About Addiction
Educate yourself about the disease of addiction. Once you begin to understand how addiction affects the brain and behavior of your loved one, it will be a little bit easier to cope with. You can also learn how addiction affects the family dynamic and how each family member can contribute to the person’s substance misuse. Often family members will develop unhealthy coping mechanisms too.
Learning about how addiction affects the family and the person with the substance use disorder can help to reduce negative feelings about the situation. As addiction is a chronic disease, educating yourself more about it and avoiding resentment or anger is essential. Just as you would look into dealing with diabetes, try to look at addiction in the same light.
3. Find Support
There’s support for recovering addicts, but there is also twelve-step support for families. Groups such as Al-Anon and Nar-Anon are designed to help families cope. These meetings offer education, support, hope, and a place where others understand what you’re going through. You can find meetings in person in your area or online Zoom meetings.
Family counseling or family coaching can also be beneficial for assisting family members, even if the addict decides not to get help. These places are great places to get support and hope while you focus on healing the family.
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Are you interested in becoming a Certified Intervention Professional? As a Certified Intervention Professional, you could help save someone’s life and help the family heal.
Our certification course is designed to teach and help you pull off the smoothest intervention possible. You’ll learn how to handle any possible objections and stressful family situations that may arise so that you can get your client into treatment. Sign up for the Addictions Academy’s Certified Intervention Professional course today and start your career and save lives.
