Family Care Recovery Programs
A Time to Learn and Grow
Too often, family members fear attending programs at inpatient rehabilitation centers for two reasons: concerns regarding confrontations with a loved one, and fear of the unknown. These emotions are valid and deserve to be addressed.
Addiction Impacts the Entire Family
Addiction is often a devastating experience for all members of a family and has lasting repercussions. The National Institutes of Health point to confirming research that biology “accounts for about half of a person’s risk for addiction.” However, this doesn’t mean someone who has a genetic predisposition will automatically have a problem—many other factors contribute to a risk behavior for drugs and alcohol.
But someone with this genetic makeup might be more prone to substance abuse if they also have trauma from, among other circumstances:
- Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
- Domestic violence or other aspects of an unstable environment
- Family abandonment or separation
- A family member with substance use disorder or unmanaged mental health issues
Understanding the root causes of addiction, their triggers, and helping people learn to heal from them is a core aspect of inpatient rehabilitation facility treatment. This approach includes not only the person in recovery, but also family members, so everyone can move forward with purpose.
Learning to Connect & Forgive
To help alleviate concern about the unexpected, an explanation about the family program is included upon an individual’s admittance. At Great Oaks, we believe it’s essential to create a positive, collaborative family program with a lot of communication and accountability.
- An individual in treatment learns the importance of inclusion, not isolation. Identifying triggers and deep-rooted issues is challenging work, but with the guidance of focused therapy and when ready, family counseling, they have the opportunity to draw strength and understanding from the people who care most.
- Family members receive helpful addiction education, which includes knowing what their loved one is going through during treatment, aspects of recovery, dealing with conflicts such as denial or dishonesty, and other issues. They also learn the importance of getting help for themselves to ensure a healthy future.
Together, an individual and their family members:
- Reestablish a foundation of trust.
- Learn new techniques for addressing conflict and understanding different perspectives.
- Release shame, blame, and guilt.
- Incorporate mutually-beneficial practices such as 12-Step integration.
- Develop better methods for conversations, reflective listening, and presenting challenging topics in a safe space.
- Turn to other supportive actions to move forward with a focus on honest healing and forgiveness.
- Create an environment that fosters not only lifelong recovery, but also the progressive health of everyone involved.
Unfortunately, not all families survive the fallout of addiction, or it may come to light that an individual is safer if not engaging with negative family members or circumstances. The board-certified mental health professionals at Great Oaks provide an anchor of support to handle these truths thoughtfully with the optimum health and wellness in mind.
Family Care Recovery Program Near Houston
If you or a loved one searches for substance abuse treatment centers in Texas or elsewhere, remember how important it is to evaluate the family dynamic in recovery, and make sure to ask about how family is included in the process. Everyone deserves peace and understanding. Find out if we can help you—talk to one of our admissions specialists today.