Family behavioral therapy is an approach used in addiction treatment that has been shown to be effective in promoting long-term recovery from addiction. The therapy is designed not just for the addict themselves, but all the family members and loved ones negatively impacted by addictive behavior. The fact is that addiction illness affects more than just one person and many relationships can be destroyed beyond repair as a consequence of substance abuse. Here we take a look at how the family’s attitudes towards addiction and their feelings about their addicted loved ones have a direct bearing on perpetuating the illness and how family behavioral therapy can help.
Family Behavioral Therapy in Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment
People turn to drugs or alcohol for a whole host of different reasons. Addiction is a very personal illness that affects people in different ways. That said, one characteristic of the illness is that sufferers continue to abuse substances even if it is destroying their own lives and those of their loved ones. Financial and legal problems are among the consequences of prolonged substance abuse without factoring in significant health risks. The ramifications of addiction are always negative and invariably widespread, which is where family behavioral therapy can help.
When people live in environments that are stressful, the interaction between family members often becomes confrontational or emotionally-charged. This can have nothing to do with alcohol or drugs but be as a consequence of divorce, bereavement, or a traumatic event or experience. The problems within family units usually start when one member uses drugs or alcohol to help them cope with what’s happening at home. This kind of self-medicating quickly leads to dependence and before long, an individual can become powerless to resist the intense cravings for alcohol or drugs.
Family behavioral therapy takes a closer look at the interplay between family members, revealing undisclosed wounds that may never have been discussed and consequently healed from. The reasons behind the addict’s substance abuse will be identified within the context of the family’s circumstances to bring important issues to the surface. Guiding families through this process is a family behavioral therapist who is specifically trained to get loved ones to openly communicate about addiction. This allows them to see that their addicted loved one has not intentionally become destructive but has an illness.
Recover from Addiction as a Strong Family Unit at Casa Recovery in Orange County
Just as addiction is an illness that can be treated, the damage done to family relationships can be fixed with family behavioral therapy. It is important that all the elements driving addiction in an individual are addressed in treatment so that individuals can enjoy a healthy life in sobriety. Casa Recovery offers a wide range of treatments and therapies that are used in combination in a personalized program. To find out more, contact Casa Recovery in San Juan Capistrano, CA today.