Functioning In A Family With Addiction
It doesn’t matter who it is in a household that has an issue with addiction, it affects everyone under the roof. It can even affect friends and family outside the home. That’s why it is important to make sure that everyone in the household is in the know, and knows how to deal with addiction.
Addiction does different things to different people, and it also depends on the substance they are using. Not only does it harm the addict, but it can also make them more volatile to the people around them. And, if they are keeping drugs or alcohol in a household with young children they are posing even more risks.
Getting The Family Involved In Recovery
Many recovery programs, like the family weekend through this clinic, offer opportunities for families to come through with their afflicted loved one. It allows them a deeper understanding of both addiction and the recovery process.
Recovery isn’t easy, and many people have to hit rock bottom before they even find they are ready to get better. If you have a family member that is struggling with addiction they may need your help to see that they have a problem. This may mean seeing if they can spend a while at a local detox center in British Columbia or wherever they are located to see if they can get back on track.
Posing An Intervention
One way to show your family member that you care and that you love them, and to help them understand they have a problem that is affecting more than just themselves, is to stage an intervention. Get friends and family together that have seen what addiction is doing to this person or that have been directly affected by this person’s addiction and confront them.
This meeting could involve spouse, children, brothers and sisters, their boss, their parents, and even their best friend. Don’t make it about attacking the addict, since it has been proven that addiction is a disorder, not just a choice. Talk to them and try to calmly help them see and understand what their bad habit is doing to them and the people around them.
Be A Support System
Once you’ve staged the intervention your part in this is not simply over. Your loved one needs to know that you are there for them, and that you want them to recover and still be in your life. They need to come home to you and know you are there, rooting for them.
Addiction is a hard habit to kick, and recovery doesn’t always work for everyone. However, with a good support system it does have better chances to lead to successful recovery. It is when an addict has no one that the worst will often happen.
As someone dealing with an addict, in or out of recovery, you need to be strong, and you also need to know when it is time to walk away. If you are suffering abuse of any kind, seek help for yourself as well.
