When an individual struggles with addiction, it significantly impacts all areas of their life. This includes their health, safety, job performance, and family life. While addiction is often viewed as a personal experience because the person living with addiction faces the physical health consequences, they are not the only ones impacted. Their family members are also affected by addiction. Watching someone you love suffer physically, mentally, and emotionally is extremely tough.
Addiction can damage family relationships and put a mental strain on those with a family member struggling with substance abuse. At Evoke Wellness Ohio, we aim to help individuals overcome addiction and provide support for their loved ones as well. We offer family addiction therapy to help families mend relationships that were affected by addiction. Call 866.430.9267 today to learn more.
How Addiction Affects the Family
At Evoke Wellness Ohio, we understand how addiction affects the family. Spouses, parents, and children are all impacted when a loved one struggles with substance abuse. An individual abusing substances may live with family members and create an unhealthy or toxic home environment. In addition, witnessing a loved one’s health deteriorate is not easy and can lead to feelings of guilt or frustration. Others may go a long time without seeing their loved one and worry about their health and safety. It is also hard to confront a person about their addiction, as they can react poorly and become defensive.
Some examples of how addiction affects the family are:
- Feelings of shame or embarrassment
- Feelings of guilt or helplessness
- Financial hardships that can lead to poverty or bankruptcy
- Destroying trust among family members
- Damaging communication and relationships within the family
- Increased stress and poor mental health
Addiction not only affects the family while an individual is struggling with substance abuse but can impact them during and after treatment as well. Reconnecting as a family is challenging after relationships have been damaged because of addiction. Families must put in work to restore trust, develop healthy communication, and work through their emotional responses.
How to Overcome the Effects of Addiction on the Family
A family therapy program can help people work through the effects of addiction on the family. Meeting with a trained counselor can ensure that families can communicate and work through their problems healthily and productively. Family addiction therapy involves participating in various exercises and activities designed to help families rebuild their relationships.
The benefits of a family addiction therapy program are:
- Identifying behaviors that led to or contributed to addiction in the first place
- Understanding how to manage triggers and stressors in a healthy way
- Learning how to better regulate and deal with emotions
- Developing effective communication skills
- Learning to set boundaries
- Restoring trust that was broken
- Learning how to support your loved one during treatment and recovery
In therapy, individuals learn how addiction affects the family, and family members gain a new perspective on substance abuse treatment. Having a healthy support system is critical for recovery and a successful transition to life after treatment. Family therapy helps family members understand each other better and restores relationships that were strained as a result of addiction. When an individual in recovery knows they are loved and supported, it can positively impact their treatment and recovery journey. The goal of our family therapy program is for those involved to understand the effects of addiction on the family and to help families find healing.
Discover Family Addiction Therapy at Evoke Wellness Ohio
If your loved one is struggling with addiction, they require professional treatment. Knowing your family member is struggling is difficult, but resources are available to help. At Evoke Wellness Ohio, we offer various evidence-based therapies to assist individuals through each stage of recovery and a family therapy program to support their loved ones. Contact our team at 866.430.9267 or via our online form to learn more about how our team can help your family.
