Family Involvement in Substance Use Treatment

If you have a loved one that has struggled with drug or alcohol addiction, you know that the entire family is deeply affected. Families often live in fear of death or serious injury. There are legal issues and financial strains. There are mental health implications. There is relational conflict and family structure changes. Because of the toll addiction takes on each family member, it is important that the whole family seek treatment. A good recovery program will offer counseling to the whole family and the process should include the family, whenever possible. The family can be involved at every stage of recovery. Here are some ways that family members can get involved:

• Intervention or initiating treatment
• Treatment planning
• Family therapy
• Individual therapy
• Educational groups/workshops
• Support groups such as Al-anon, Alateen, Narc-anon 
• Monitor symptoms to assist in relapse prevention planning and recovery maintenance
• Give reminders and help with the organizational side of treatment
• Provide alternatives to old substance using patterns, events and triggers
• Involvement in recovery community and advocacy for those impacted by addiction

Seeking treatment together, shows the person with the substance use disorder that they have support and love from their family. Support systems are an integral part of a successful recovery journey, and individuals with family commitment have higher rates of long-term recovery. Here are some important reminders for families during the recovery journey:

• Don’t lecture or get angry, be encouraging and optimistic
• Be a safe person to talk to
• If the loved one is in your home, don’t have drugs or alcohol there
• Get educated about addiction and understand the recovery process
• Be involved in treatment and the aftercare process 
• Provide accountability and reinforcement 

The Benefits of Family Involvement in Recovery – JourneyPure At The River (journeypureriver.com)

How to involve the family in the treatment and recovery process (serenitylane.org)