When undergoing addiction treatment, family support can be vital to recovery. This is because having support gives someone the motivation and drive they need to recover. Of course, some people can and have recovered for themselves, but humans are social creatures. We need and crave healthy human interaction. It’s how we develop as people and how we as a species can weather trauma that would destroy other creatures. Family support is important, but sadly, not everyone has a family.
That’s why at Painted Desert Recovery, care is taken to help improve the lives of not only its clients but their families as well. Addiction doesn’t just hurt an individual; it also hurts the people who love them. By mending this hurt, family ties can be built stronger than before. For those who have no family, they can build one of their own. Regardless, family support is important and can be the difference between a long and short recovery.
What a Healthy Family Looks Like
A healthy family that can give proper family support should be supportive. They should be encouraging and believe in their family member receiving addiction treatment. When they are tired and frustrated, their family support should be able to come in and give them comfort. A healthy family should be able to communicate with each other without resorting to insults or judgment. It’s one thing to express how one’s actions have harmed them; it’s another thing entirely to be hateful. There is a careful balance between holding someone accountable for their actions while giving them love and support at the same in a healthy family.
No family is perfect. However, families can still be healthy. For example, a healthy family will apologize when they have wronged another. Shifting blame, gaslighting, and denial are not healthy ways to receive family support. Healthy families will not use threats, violence, and manipulation to force another family member to do things against their will. If someone is afraid to go home or speak with their family, it’s a sign that their family is not healthy. It’s possible to help an unhealthy family become healthy once more, but it depends on whether the problem individuals will accept help or not. Some of this help can be found in addiction treatment programs.
Fostering Healthy Family Support in Recovery
The best way to foster family support in recovery is to encourage families to seek mental health care themselves. There are many programs such as group therapy and family therapy, that can help families repair their relationships and grow as people. For clients, it allows their families to see just how hard they are working and understand them as a person. As for families, it lets them learn how to talk to their loved ones and discard stigmas and wrong information about addiction.
Addiction treatment facilities are not a prison, and clients are allowed to stay in touch with their families. It can be difficult at first, especially if someone feels shame or guilt for needing treatment. However, true family support will teach them that everyone deserves help, and addiction is not the mark of a bad person. Clients can also make use of psychotherapy, known as “talk” therapy, to help them learn communication skills. Learning how to effectively communicate allows people to advocate for themselves, express their emotions, and seek validation healthily. If someone is unsure of how to repair and build relationships with their family, any mental health care professional would be glad to help them.
Building Your Family Support
It’s a sad fact that not everyone will have family support. It could be that someone is an orphan, they have been estranged/disowned, or they had to escape a toxic family. Not everyone has a family, but family doesn’t just have to be blood relatives. Families can be made up of anyone who loves and supports you. Many people in recovery find family support through their peers and mentors. Others find it through finding others of common interests and banding together. Regardless of how someone finds their family support, they need to be sure of a few things.
One is that someone should find support from those who live and promote sober living. People in recovery will not find family support from those who use substances, as they can pressure someone in recovery into using again. Second is that this new family should be people you feel safe and happy to be around. Nobody should pressure someone into joining their group. Third is to beware of groups looking to “sell” companionship or have someone pay to find “higher meaning.” If someone has to give up their identity, possessions, or money to receive family support, that is not a true and healthy family.
For more help building a healthy family and finding family support, people can contact Painted Desert Recovery for more information. Nobody has to be alone while receiving treatment, including yourself and those whom you love.
Having a healthy support network is vital in addiction recovery. However, some may struggle with finding such a support network as they have an unhealthy family. Sometimes, they keep their addiction a secret from their families, afraid of how they may react. Here at Painted Desert Recovery in New Harmony, Utah, we understand the importance of family when it comes to addiction treatment. We offer programs to not only help clients build healthier relationships with their families but also help in building families of their own. Regardless, everyone is deserving of support, no matter who they are. To learn more about how Painted Desert Recovery can help you and your loved ones overcome addiction, call (844) 540-0353.
