Substance abuse can be very lonely, even when surrounded by friends or family. However, recovery can seem lonely at times, too. Making the decision to get help is one thing, but doing all of the work and feeling everything along the way can be very isolating. We may wish that our family could be with us every step of the way like they have been as we embark upon the path of recovery. There are many parts of recovery that must be physically done alone, but there is also plenty of room for us to have family support and be held up by them along the way. How can my family be involved in my recovery?
Where is the Love?
Family can be a loaded word in recovery. Some of us have family members who are also addicted, or who in some way contributed to our substance abuse either by modeling the behavior or by harming us emotionally or physically. When we have toxic relationships in our family we should probably not try to involve them in our recovery.
However, for those of us who have supportive familial relationships, even if it is only one other person in our family, they can provide some very welcome support to us during this difficult time in our lives. From offering words of encouragement to helping us walk the recovery journey, we can find love and support in our family relationships.
Educating Our Family
One of the first steps to seeking help from our families is to educate them about addiction. Most people have no idea that addiction can be a medical issue or what it is like to be addicted to substances. Often our families have only seen our behaviors and a lot of stigmatizing representations of these behaviors on television and in the movies.
In addition to finding our families some good resources to educate them about addiction and the recovery process, we should tell our families what we are going through and explain what it feels like to be in early recovery. It is important to tell them what a craving feels like and how hard it is for us to resist it. Explain to them why we may have anger and have many other emotions as we embark upon the recovery journey. It is now the time we can then invite them to join us in our recovery process.
Bringing Family to Treatment
Most residential facilities have opportunities for families to come and be a part of the recovery process. If we get the chance to participate in a family program in treatment, we are provided the opportunity to not only see our families, but we can show them what we have been doing during treatment and share what it is that we have gone through both in and out of our addiction.
Bringing our family to treatment invites them into our recovery process. For most family members, this will help engage them and develop a healthy support for us that can be long lasting. Often the facilities will offer an interactive experience for families whether educational or therapeutic or both.
Family Therapy
Because substance abuse impacts more than just the individual and affects the whole family system, the family is a very important part of the healing process. The family healing process may begin at the facility where we are getting treatment or it may begin in outpatient therapy after treatment. The important thing is that family therapy happens.
We are not the only ones that need to heal. Most family members have a lot of hurt, anger, and resentment toward our substance abuse. However, family therapy provides an opportunity for open communication in a safe, confidential environment that brings healing for everyone in the family system. The ideal is that the family will be closer than ever after therapy and be able to communicate well with one another with a better understanding of how they can support us in our recovery.
Family as Support after Treatment
Once we have left residential treatment we will need people to lean on. Particularly at first we will need the support of people who love us. If our family is healthy emotionally they are our ideal first level of support that we can seek. We can ask our families for support when we have cravings, when we need help keeping busy, when we need someone to talk to, and when we may need an exercise buddy. Our family can be our first line of defense when the battle for recovery gets difficult. When we have the support of our family, we have an additional line of defense against substance abuse.
How can my family be involved in my recovery? Your family can be educated about addiction and the recovery process. They can support you throughout the treatment process by getting involved with the family program or family therapy at the facility where you are receiving treatment. Your family can have the opportunity to go to therapy together and heal by learning to communicate and support each other better. Your family may be your best support network throughout your recovery process. At Rancho Milagro Recovery we believe strongly in involving the family. We provide remote and in person family therapy. We know that the family that heals together has a much better chance of staying in recovery. Call us at (951) 526-4582 to talk to us more about how you can involve your family in your recovery process. The support of your family in recovery can be like the warm blanket that surrounds you and keeps you warm on the coldest nights of early recovery.