Substance abuse is a growing problem in the United States. With tens of thousands of people using drugs every year and millions indulging in alcohol use, the problem of substance abuse is something that every home has likely experienced. Many efforts are in place to assist those who are struggling with substance use. Rehab centers, counseling programs, and group therapy are a few things in place to provide the person using with the tools for recovery. However, it’s also important to consider how addiction affects families. Addiction rarely stays with just the people who use it, but instead, it spreads out and touches all those around them.
How Addiction Affects Families
We often focus on the individual struggling with substance abuse. This is natural because we want to help them get off drugs or alcohol; we want to see them find healing. Yet, do we stop to think about how addiction affects families too? There are many factors involved with how it impacts the home and family. Some families may be affected more than others, but no one goes untouched.
Family members usually feel helpless when their loved one is using a substance. This feeling of helplessness can lead to hopelessness, despair, and depression.
Other times, families may feel undue guilt or responsibility about the person using. They may think things like, “If only I had done more,” or “I should have done such and such.” The list can be endless, but no matter what families think, a person is responsible for their own behavior.
In addition to these consequences of addiction on families, addiction can also put a wedge between the family members. If the person who is addicted to drugs, engages in unethical behavior such as lying to or stealing from the family members, it can escalate the problem.
Ways To Deal With Addiction In The Family
If you are realizing for the first time how addiction affects families, but not sure what to do about it, there is hope. By involving everyone in family therapy and rehab, the whole family can find healing. It’s critical to not enable your loved one in substance use but get him or her the help needed to heal.
Group therapy during rehab will help you open up the lines of communication, and it will provide the tools for mending past wounds.
Help For The Whole Family At Right Step
At Right Step in Dallas, TX, you will find healing for all as you come to recognize how addiction affects families. As you take the step forward on the pathway to sobriety, your family can join you in family therapy sessions.
Meet our caring staff, who will be there every step of the way during your recovery. We understand how strong families are essential for a healthy life.
We use evidence-based therapy to guide people to a place of inner healing. Whether you’re struggling with alcohol, meth, or heroin, expert substance abuse counselors will provide you with the tools you need to move forward in life. Some of our treatment programs include:
- Prescription painkiller treatment program
- Marijuana treatment program
- Heroin treatment program
- Alcohol treatment program
- Cocaine treatment program
- Meth treatment program
Don’t let drug addiction take away your happiness and peace in life. Now that you know how addiction affects families reach out to Right Step and join our powerful rehab. Contact us at 1.844.768.1161, and we’ll get you on the road to healing.
