If you are in Ohio drug rehab, there are many different types of therapies to consider. If it is just you or another family member who is struggling with addiction, should you bother with family therapy? The answer is a resounding “yes”; family therapy can help you work through the issues that addiction causes in a family.
What is Family Therapy?
When people leave their rehab program, they enter into the community again, and they often return to a family. The family needs to be able to receive and support them. The family is a system, and when a part is not working properly, that system begins to break down. For instance, family therapy also addresses the roles that different individuals in the family play during addiction and recovery. Some family members may be involved in rescuing behaviors such as lying for the addicted person and covering up for that person. These might seem positive at the time, but they do not help the addict see the results of his or her actions.
Family therapy helps turn a broken system into one that is oriented toward recovery. All parts of the system need to recover, from the addict to other family members. Family therapy helps to build a new, healthier norm in the family.
Why is Family Therapy Beneficial?
Family therapy is helpful for the family as a whole. People come from different living situations, but anyone who is addicted and lives with others has an impact on the other people in the family. There are dynamics of dependence that can be reflected in many generations of a family. For instance, children who grow up with one or two addicted parents can feel the impacts of this addiction for many years to come. Family therapy helps equip the family with tools to address the addiction and to address the impacts of addiction on every member of the family.
Family therapy is not only beneficial for the family, it is also beneficial to the person with the addiction. Families learn how to support a family member in recovery. According to Very Well Mind, “treatment programs aimed at those who have alcohol or drug abuse problems can have better outcomes if the abuser’s family or close associates are also involved in the process.”
If family members do not learn about the ways in which they can support recovery, they can actually prevent recovery through enabling behaviors. When families learn how to use their strengths to support the individual’s recovery, that person will likely have a better outcome.
How Does Family Therapy Work?
What are the goals of family therapy? Family therapy can involve a number of different models. These include therapies that explore the effects of addiction on the family, behavior patterns in the family, problem-solving in the family, and emotional and environmental factors. Through discussion and take-home strategies, the therapist, family, and addict work together to create a supportive environment in which the addict can move toward recovery.
At The Recovery Village Columbus, we offer many kinds of therapy to support your recovery. Contact us to talk with us today about the possibilities for family therapy and other therapy.
The Recovery Village aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.