Like other mental health conditions, addiction rarely only affects the person struggling with substance abuse. It also impacts their friends and family, damaging the trust and communication the family already had in place and impacting the dynamics at large. If your family member is struggling with addiction, you’re most likely fighting a variety of painful emotions. Additionally, you may not know what to do to help. Fortunately, at Bayview Recovery, we want to help our patients and their families achieve and maintain sobriety. We know that families play an integral role in the recovery process, so we are prepared to help you rebuild your relationship with your loved one through family therapy. To learn more about the role of family support in addiction recovery, please contact our team today at 855.478.3650.
What Role Does the Family Play During an Addiction?
When your family is struggling with substance abuse, members quickly find themselves in a dysfunctional system. They often take on one of several roles to cope with their loved one’s drug or alcohol use. A few of those roles may include:
- The savior: This person strives to compensate for the shame and embarrassment the family feels because of their loved one’s addiction. As a result, they often look good and achieve their goals, but they feel that the world is resting on their shoulders.
- The mascot: This person uses humor to cope with their loved one’s addiction. Sometimes the family doesn’t receive the humor well because they are hyper-stressed.
- The scapegoat: The family often blames this person for their loved one’s addiction. As a result, they often create other problems to turn attention away from their loved one’s drug or alcohol use.
- The enabler: This person often excuses their loved one’s behavior. They aren’t willing to hold them accountable for their actions.
Unfortunately, none of these actions are healthy. Fortunately, with the help of our family therapy programs and addiction support services, we can help the family develop healthier relationships with each other and the person using drugs or alcohol.
The Role of Family Support in Addiction Treatment
Just as the family steps into natural roles when they’re watching their loved one struggle with drug or alcohol abuse, they can also assume a range of behaviors and healthy roles. Doing so allows them to support their loved one’s recovery. For example, if you’re a parent, you may want to show yourself as supportive but firm. Encourage your loved one to take action to make their life better. You should be prepared to hold your loved one accountable for their behavior and help them create positive rewards for healthy choices in recovery.
In addition, at Bayview Recovery, we encourage our patients to attend family therapy with your loved one. Furthermore, you may want to attend support groups, such as Ala-anon, for additional support. These actions will help you create healthy boundaries for yourself and your loved one. It also allows you to begin the process of recovery for the entire family.
Get Treatment at Bayview Recovery
At Bayview Recovery, we’re committed to providing the best possible treatment for those suffering from drug or alcohol addiction. We offer support to those struggling with a range of addictions, including:
When you reach out to Bayview Recovery, you’ll find the support your loved one needs to recover from drug and alcohol addiction. We’ll also help the rest of the family provide the support they need to help them stay sober outside of treatment. Please reach out to a member of our admissions team at 855.478.3650 to learn more about family support in addiction treatment.
