It’s said that alcoholism is a family disease because its effect ripple to every member of the household. Therefore, the recovery process is one that is typically shared with the whole family.
In fact, data shows that those who seek recovery therapy together with their families are more likely to stay sober than those who do not.
But what kind of resources for families of addicts are available to those who want to heal together?
Let’s take a look!
Resources For Families of Alcoholics
12-Step Groups
12-step groups are not unique to addicts, they are also available to families of alcoholics. These programs consist of a group of non-professional peers who are recovering.
Not only are these groups helpful for the families but they also allow them to experience what their loved one is going through as part of the 12-step program.
They are a great alcoholic family resource for recovery.
In the case of families, there are different resources for families of addicts that fit this mold such as Al-Anon, Recovering Couples Anonymous, and Families Anonymous.
Al-Anon is a group that deals with families of alcoholics. In this program, attendees come together to discuss their recovery from substance use and how it affected them and other family members.
Recovering Couples Anonymous is like AA for couples. The fellowship helps couples sober up together, heal their relationship, and solve their common problems.
Families Anonymous is similar to Al-Anon, except it spreads itself across all sorts of addictive behaviors, not only alcoholism.
Family Therapy
The goal of family therapy is to help the entire family recover from trauma by healing them together and teaching them how to manage recovery properly.
Family therapy is a form of group therapy for families of alcoholics. A typical session is usually led by a counselor but all members of the family participate in a group and share their experiences.
Group therapy for families of alcoholics is one of the best-known resources for families of addicts who are seeking to heal together.
Trauma caused by alcoholism in the family could come from places. In some instances, it could be that the family feels abandoned, in others it could come from more serious consequences like physical or verbal harm.
Group therapy for families of alcoholics allows members of the household to discuss these traumas together in a safe environment.
Child and Teen Resources
Trauma caused by alcoholism can be felt heavily among children and teens.
At a young age most haven’t developed the maturity and necessary coping mechanisms they need to deal with an alcoholic parent or sibling. This causes a number of mental health issues, resentments, and behavioral problems that affect their development.
In fact, trauma during childhood could turn into alcoholism later in life.
Fortunately, there are many resources for families of addicts that are focused on helping teens and children. Some of them include:
- NACoA – The National Association for Children of Alcoholics is an alcoholic family resource on a mission to eliminate the adverse impact of alcohol and drug use on children and families.
- Alateen – An association dedicated only to teens who have been affected by someone else’s alcoholism. The alcoholic family resource welcomes teens between the ages of 13 and 18 to the meetings.
Getting Help
It’s not always easy to extend a lending hand to a family member who suffers from alcoholism. If we do, it might not always be welcomed with open arms, or worse, we might hold ourselves to do so due to our own resentments and shortcomings.
But family members who suffer from alcoholism need our help and support. Their disease might temporarily blind them from its consequences.
Our help and intervention offer them a chance for their recovery.
If you want to help a loved one recover from alcoholism then we can help. 90210 Recovery offers rehab and detox for alcoholics as well as family therapy.
We know all too well that families who recover together, stay together and heal together. Our holistic approach focuses not only on the addict but also on healing the underlying causes that might keep them from sobriety.
Contact 90210 Recovery to learn more about our program and see how we can help you get your loved ones the help they need to recover.
