Drug addiction affects the entire family unit. While the addicted individual requires treatment and counseling, it is also crucial that their family members are involved in the recovery process.
What is Family Therapy?
Family therapy is a form of psychotherapy that involves family members in the treatment process. Unlike individual therapy that focuses on the patient alone, family therapy engages the entire family unit. It is based on the perspective that families are systems, and the dysfunctional interactions between family members can contribute to individual problems.
The goal of a family program is to improve communication, resolve conflicts, and create a more supportive family environment. The therapist helps family members adopt new skills to nurture healthier relationships.
By working together, the family gains insight into their dynamics and how to promote growth and change.
The Benefits of Family Involvement
Improved Communication
Family therapy helps family members communicate constructively about the addiction, their feelings, and how to support recovery. Improved communication strengthens family bonds.
Education
Family members learn about addiction, its effects on the brain and behaviors, and how they can promote recovery rather than enabling the addiction. Knowledge empowers the family.
Identifying Triggers
The therapist helps the family identify relationship triggers that may drive substance use. By improving these relationships and dynamics, triggers can be removed.
Repairing Trust
Addictive behaviors often violate trust between family members. Therapy helps restore trust and rebuild broken relationships.
Creating a Support System
Having the family involved creates a network of support to motivate and reinforce recovery. The family is united behind sobriety.
Relapse Prevention
Family therapy prepares the family to recognize warning signs and intervene appropriately in the event of a relapse. A supportive family can get treatment back on track.
Improved Mental Health
Family therapy addresses underlying issues, like mental health conditions, that may contribute to addiction. Treating co-occurring disorders improves outcomes.
Approaches to Family Therapy
There are several types of family therapy used in addiction treatment:
Structural Family Therapy
Examines and alters the power structure and boundaries between family members to create a more supportive hierarchy.
Multidimensional Family Therapy
A comprehensive approach that examines the addicted individual along with family, peer, community, and school systems.
Multisystemic Therapy
Focuses on addressing environmental systems that impact the addicted person’s behaviors.
Functional Family Therapy
Skill-based therapy that seeks to improve family communication and functioning in a goal-oriented framework.
Brief Strategic Family Therapy
A problem-focused approach that identifies and alters family interactions that enable addictive behaviors.
A trained family therapist will determine the most appropriate approach based on the individual family’s dynamics and needs. Family therapy sessions are often held weekly over the course of several months. The therapist continually evaluates progress and adjusts the approach as needed. Patience is required as restoring family function and trust takes time.
Family therapy should become a standard component of addiction treatment. By involving loved ones in the recovery process, family therapy surrounds the addicted individual with support and targets the root causes behind substance abuse. Family therapy empowers the entire family unit to embrace sobriety and positive change. It can make the difference between relapse and sustained recovery.
