It has been said that alcoholism is a family disease since its effects affect every member of the family regardless of whether they use it or not. That’s because the effects of addiction echo through the household. It is therefore common for the whole family to participate in the recovery process.
Research has shown that sober individuals who seek recovery therapy together with their families are more likely to remain sober.
But what resources for families of addicts are available for those who want to heal together?
Here’s what we found!
Resources For Families of Alcoholics
Family Therapy
The first and most important resource available for families of alcoholics is family therapy.
Families benefit from family therapy by learning how to manage recovery together and heal trauma together.
Family therapy is a form of group therapy for families of alcoholics aimed at helping those with a drinking problem and their loved ones. It is usually a counselor who leads a session, but all family members share their experiences in a group setting.
Group therapy for families is one of the best-known resources for families of addicts who are seeking to heal together.
There are many ways in which alcoholism can cause family trauma. It may be that the family feels abandoned in some instances. Other times, it could result in more serious consequences like physical or verbal harm.
Families of addicts can discuss these traumas in a safe environment through group therapy for families of alcoholics.
Twelve-Step Groups
Addicts aren’t the only ones who can benefit from 12-step programs; families of alcoholics can as well. These programs consist of a group of non-professional peers who are recovering.
12-step groups not only benefit the families but also give them a first-hand view of what their loved one is experiencing.
For alcoholic families in recovery, they are a great resource.
There are various resources available for families of addicts, such as Al-Anon, Recovering Couples Anonymous, and Families Anonymous.
Al-Anon is an alcoholic family resource with the purpose of discussing how substance use affected participants and their families during the recovery process and their loved one’s addiction.
Recovering Couples Anonymous is like Alcoholics Anonymous for couples. By joining the fellowship, couples can sober up together, heal their relationship, and solve their common problems together.
Families Anonymous is similar to Al-Anon, except it encompasses a wide range of addictions other than alcoholism.
Child and Teen Resources
Teenagers and children can feel a great deal of trauma as a result of alcoholism in the family.
The majority of children don’t have the maturity and coping skills they need to deal with an alcoholic parent or sibling at a young age. In turn, this leads to a number of behavioral issues, resentments, and mental health issues.
As a matter of fact, trauma during childhood could lead to alcoholism later in life.
The good news is that there are many families of addicts who are looking for resources to help their teens and children.
Here are a few of them:
- 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
When a family member suffers from alcoholism, it can be difficult to extend a helping hand. The responses might not always be warm and welcoming, or worse, we might force ourselves to do so as a result of our own resentment and shortcomings.
However, family members who have alcoholism need our support and help. They might be temporarily blinded by the consequences of their disease.
With our help and intervention, they have a chance of recovering.
If you want to help a loved one recover from alcoholism then we can help. Ava Recovery offers rehab and detox services as well as other resources for families of addicts like group therapy for families of alcoholics.
To learn more about our program or to see how we can help your loved one, contact us today.
