Friends and Family Treatment

Although therapy usually focuses on the person who has the problem, there’s no question that “the problem” often impacts on families in a big way. A big question that family members often struggle with is whether to let go or not to let go when a loved one is in the throes of addiction.

Sometimes you have to detach yourself with love, as one of the major principles is ‘you didn’t cause it, you can’t control it, and you can’t cure it. There is good evidence that being abandoned by loved ones, in fact, hurts one’s chances of getting clean.

In many situations, communication may have already broken down, and by the time someone decides to take action, reaching out might seem impossible, but in fact, it’s more important than ever that you intervene now.

Your support is important, and you could become actively involved in the recovery process in the following ways:

• Encourage your loved one to seek professional help in an alcohol rehab, drug clinic or addiction counselling
• Become educated about addiction and involve other family members or friends.
• Addressing any of your actions that may be contributing to your loved one’s addiction.

Addiction is seldom an isolated problem involving a single person. Addiction treatment often brings up troubling issues in a family’s life, such as relationship conflicts, substance abuse in the household, domestic abuse, or past traumas. While delving into these issues can be uncomfortable or even painful, it’s necessary that the family heal together so that each member can become healthy and strong.

People often worry that starting a discussion with the person with the problem will lead him or her to take drastic steps. They might move out of the house, make a scene in front of other family members, try to hide their problem, or retaliate against other members of the family members. However, it may be that you find the conversation to be a wonderfully productive experience. Perhaps the person merely not noticed behavioural changes or doesn’t realise that his or her addiction problem was or is causing a problem. And without change, the problems may become so severe that the same drastic outcomes could result.

Although you most likely want the substance use to stop as soon as possible, immediate abstinence from certain drugs has certain risks including withdrawal symptoms and serious medical consequences. Many people need to be admitted to a detoxification center to help them physically withdraw.

Contact Detox Plus today.  We help you select rehabs that are within your budget and suitable for your needs.

What is Addiction Intervention?