FAMILY THERAPY FOR ADDICTION TREATMENT​

Therapy for Family Members of Addicts ​

There is no denying that if one member of a family is struggling with addiction, the entire family will be impacted. After seeing the prevalence of this, professionals began offering therapy to family members of addicts. 

When a family member struggles with a drug or alcohol addiction in Kentucky, their family may notice a negative shift in their relationships. The addict or alcoholic may become irritable, less dependable, and get caught in lies. This can create a toxic environment of conflict and arguments. 

Family members oftentimes struggle with concern for their loved ones. They are witnessing someone they love struggle, and there is little that can be done to help unless the addict or alcoholic wants the help. The addict or alcoholic may have difficulty at work, financial trouble, and health consequences that result from their dependence.

Other common difficulties that family members have the presence of codependency and enabling. Enabling is a behavior that is commonly found within codependent relationships. Enabling occurs when someone takes care of the addict or alcoholic in a way that they can do themselves. For example, if an alcoholic spends all their money on alcohol, they may not have money left for their bills. Enabling would be a family member giving them money to cover what they owe. Another example of enabling would be making excuses for their addictive behaviors. 

Codependency can be described as one person trying to take care of an addict or alcoholics’ needs. This is an unhealthy relationship pattern because it often leads to the “fixer” neglecting their own needs. Over time, the family member may develop low self-esteem and resentment for not having their efforts acknowledged. This is unhealthy for the addict or alcoholic because they are able to continue engaging in their addictive behaviors without the natural consequences that they should be experiencing.

Children who grow up with someone in their life struggling with an addiction can have lasting effects from it. Children may develop trust issues as they group up because they had someone in their life who was inconsistent and may not have kept their promises. Children learn from their environment, so if a child grows up in a home with someone struggling with addiction, that becomes normal. The chaos, conflict, and other related problems become a part of their daily life. 

In some ways, children of addicts and alcoholics need to grow up faster than their peers. In some families, the children take on the role of trying to fix the person struggling. This can include caring for the loved one when they are experiencing withdrawal and other effects of drinking and drug use. In houses with younger children, the older children may take on a caretaker role for their younger siblings.

How Group Therapy for Family Members of Addicts Can Help ​

There are several approaches that can be used in Kentucky family therapy programs for families that have a struggling addict or alcoholic. This would include group therapy, family sessions, and individual sessions. Family therapy works to help educate loved ones about addiction, unhealthy boundaries

Group therapy for family members of addicts can help support the family member. Group therapy can provide family members with a safe place where they can talk about their struggles and feel heard. Group sessions can also be used to provide addiction education. Family members have the opportunity to hear others’ experiences and see common struggles. Many find group therapy to be a validating experience for them. 

Family therapy for addiction oftentimes has an individual counseling option where the family members are able to meet with a therapist or counselor on their own. Individual counseling sessions would focus on the family member and their own personal needs. Family members with their own mental health struggles, such as anxiety and depression, would be able to receive help during this time. This would also be a great place to talk about struggling with codependency as well.  

What to Expect From Our Family Therapy for Addiction Treatment ​

Impact IOP is proud to provide family therapy for addiction treatment. We recognize the loved ones of an addict or alcoholic are not immune to the chaos that addiction causes. While inpatient rehab and outpatient treatment programs are designed to focus on the addict or alcoholic, our family therapy for addiction program can help partners, parents, children, and other members of your family. 

Our family therapy for addiction program uses a variety of approaches, such as individual sessions and family sessions. This allows us to cater your therapy to your family’s specific needs. For example, maybe your family would benefit from family sessions in addition to couples sessions, and individual sessions for children. Our flexible program is designed to enable your success. 

The benefits of family therapy for addiction include learning valuable information about addiction, recovery, codependency, enabling, and recovery. We will work with you to identify boundaries that could be improved among family members. Having healthy boundaries will help family members feel as though they are being heard and respected. 

Explore Our Modern Drug Rehab in Louisville

Impact IOP’s Experienced Therapists Are Here For Your Family ​

Located in Kentucky, Impact IOP is a Louisville outpatient drug and alcohol treatment program. We work with individuals struggling with alcohol and drug addictions in Louisville and the surrounding area. Many individuals we work with come to us after completing an inpatient drug or alcohol rehab program. Additionally, we offer family therapy services for addiction.

Our family therapy services focus on the entire family, not just the individual struggling with an addiction. While most of our services are designed to help someone living with an addiction, we recognize the role that family members have in a person’s recovery. Family members often experience a variety of consequences from a loved one’s addiction, and they deserve support as well. Family therapy can also help the family navigate what recovery means for them, and how they can all move forward to support each other.

For those who are struggling with an alcohol or drug addiction, the first step would be to meet with us for an intake assessment. During this time, a member of our clinical team will sit with you and ask about your experience with drugs, alcohol, and addiction. From there, you will determine which treatment options you both feel would be a good fit. 

A piece of the intake assessment involves seeing if you struggle with additional mental health concerns. Depression, anxiety, PTSD, and trauma are commonly seen among individuals struggling with addiction. These concerns need to be addressed for you to have a healthy recovery.

Additionally, we offer medication-assisted treatment and will talk to you about your options. If you feel this is something you would like to pursue, you would then meet with someone from our medical team to see if there is a medication that could help you in your recovery. Together, you will decide if this is a path you would like to take.

Our Intensive Outpatient Program runs between 15-25 hours of group therapy per week. Additionally, you will meet with a counselor for 1 hour of individual therapy each week. This program focuses on addiction education, relapse prevention skills, and employment education if relevant. We will talk about the benefits of 12-step meetings and encourage you to attend meetings.

We offer an outpatient treatment program that will continue providing you with support and guidance in the early stages of your recovery. Group sessions will continue to be a safe place for you to talk about your struggles and triumphs. You will still be able to meet one-on-one with a counselor for individual support.

If you are worried about yourself, or someone you love, we invite you to call us at our outpatient drug rehab facility at (502) 912-1038. We are proud to be a rehab program for the Louisville area.