Family Program

Family Program During Addiction Treatment

Although you may be the only person who is using substances, addiction affects everyone around you. Addiction destroys families and friendships. To help repair these relationships, Berkshire Mountain Health offers professional family programs during addiction treatment. Creating a support system for the client helps to forge a bridge of understanding and forgiveness.

The most beneficial family programs provide the opportunity for loved ones to participate in recovery. Usually, they begin when a person has completed some individual treatment and is ready to involve family. While it’s normal for family program sessions to begin with a few challenges, there is significant healing in the end. Most importantly, when the person in recovery has a solid support system, the road to sobriety becomes easier.

Common Family Programs During Detox

There are various family program levels during detox at Berkshire. Their certified therapists will recommend the most appropriate treatment and therapy for clients and their families so that recovery is successful.

Family Process Group

A family process group includes the client and their family members and is led by a licensed therapist. It provides a safe space for loved ones to understand the reasons behind their loved one’s behavior. Each family member can express thoughts and provide feedback, and the therapist will do their best to answer all questions.

Family Education Group

During this type of family program, family members learn about various mental health disorders and how they may be impacting their loved one’s substance use. Often, family members don’t realize that underlying conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, and PTSD can contribute to drug or alcohol use.

Families also learn about the causes of addiction, ways to prevent relapse, and how to set and keep boundaries. The 12-step education process is discussed as well because it can be very effective in helping individuals achieve lasting sobriety. People in recovery and their families can also put together an aftercare plan for the road ahead.

Individual Family Therapy

Individual family therapy sessions are joint sessions with clients and their families. A licensed therapist discusses many topics, including family dynamics. Family members receive updates about their loved one’s treatment progress as well. In the meantime, clients learn skills and utilize tools to help overcome obstacles during recovery. Steps in aftercare planning are discussed for the whole family.

Family Group Therapy

Family group therapy creates a safe atmosphere where multiple families discuss challenges and triumphs that occur during the addiction recovery process. Sessions include an experienced therapist, various families from the program, and clients. The goal is to create a higher level of support as individuals and families navigate the path to sobriety.

Why Addiction Is Often Called a Family Disease

Addiction rarely stays confined to the individual using drugs or alcohol. It reshapes the whole family by changing communication, decision-making patterns, and relationships as a whole. This is why clinicians refer to addiction as a family disease.

Roles are created within the family to compensate for the addiction, and often without realizing it. For instance, someone may take on the role of “rescuer” to cover up and compensate for lost time, while someone else may become the “mascot” using humor and charm to lighten the mood. For children especially, these familial patterns often echo far into their adult lives.

Coming to grips with the fact that addiction is not a disease solely affecting an individual, but instead something that reshapes the whole family dynamic, is crucial to obtaining long-term recovery. The inspiring news is that people with involved families often have better long-term outcomes than those who must navigate the process without family support.

Understanding Enabling and Codependency

Enabling and codependency are two behaviors commonly found in families with addiction, both of which can unknowingly further enable the destructive patterns of substance abuse.

Enabling

Enabling typically begins in good faith, but has negative consequences down the road. It usually consists of family members attempting to cover up or make amends for the person’s wrongdoings in an effort to hide them from friends, family, and coworkers. In doing so, the enabler removes potential negative consequences for substance use, which often leads to the addiction continuing or worsening. This happens because the person with the addiction is not brought to understand the true repercussions of their actions.

Codependency

Codependency can take a significant psychological toll on the family member who takes on the role of managing the person’s life, sometimes to the point that their own sense of identity or self-worth becomes closely tied to that role. This can be detrimental to the enabler, as they must constantly sacrifice their own wellbeing for the sake of their relative. The person using drugs or alcohol is also negatively impacted because they’re not learning how to obtain healthy boundaries needed for long-term sobriety.

Family programs at Berkshire are designed to help individuals and families recognize and mitigate enabling or codependent behavior, while redirecting their energies into healthier, more sustainable outlets

The Importance of Setting Boundaries

Setting boundaries is perhaps one of the most useful lessons you can obtain while participating in a family program. Boundaries are necessary, as they establish what can and cannot be expected from the person in recovery, free from judgment or negative consequences. The ability to set healthy boundaries also applies to family members themselves, helping them avoid falling into patterns of enabling their loved one.

The experienced counselors at Berkshire can help you learn how to set boundaries that are realistic, healthy, and sustainable rather than relying on reactionary measures that may be difficult to maintain over time. Clear boundaries, paired with consistent follow-through, can create a healthier dynamic and help family members support their loved one’s recovery without enabling continued substance use.

What Family Sessions at Berkshire Look Like

Family programs at Berkshire are flexible and adaptive to each participant’s needs. Some are private, one-on-one counseling sessions, while others are done in a group setting. Most sessions open with an unrestricted conversation to establish the mood and direction for the day, before diving into the main subject matter.

Following this, each participant can bring up whatever issues they wish to discuss with the guidance of a licensed addiction counselor, who will help them navigate the difficulties of the family dynamic and develop practical solutions to their problems. Family sessions are available to whomever wants to join and better understand addiction and how to best support their loved one.

Rebuilding Trust, One Conversation at a Time

Trust that has been lost due to substance use is rarely re-established overnight, or even within a short period of time. Rather, it must be rebuilt during family sessions, conversation by conversation. The family programs at Berkshire give both the client and their loved ones an open platform to voice issues, whether it be old resentments, feelings of helplessness, or matters the person was too ashamed to bring up before.

With the guidance of a qualified therapist, these issues can be discussed in an actionable manner, which ultimately assists both parties in improving their relationship, rather than hindering it.

Continuing Family Support Beyond Treatment

The family healing process does not simply stop at the end of a treatment program, which is why the family programs at Berkshire can direct you towards whichever resources are the best fit to continue your family’s healing process. Organizations such as Al-Anon and Nar-Anon provide family members of substance use with the same kind of support that 12-step programs do for individuals. These meetings ensure that the family is well-supported, educated, and prepared to take the next steps with their loved one.

Receive Help at Berkshire in Berkshire, MA

Berkshire Mountain Health offers different types of therapy treatments to individuals and their families. Their team recognizes that family members need help understanding why addiction occurs and the importance of supporting loved ones who are experiencing substance use. Recovery is a slow and long process for everyone, but it’s also transformative. To learn more about these programs and how to take the next steps, contact Berkshire today.

Frequently Asked Questions About Family Therapy

Is family participation required at Berkshire?

No. Participation from family is encouraged but not required, as treatment plans are designed specifically for each individual person in accordance with their needs. Not all people have appropriate or available family members to assist in their treatment.

What if my family lives out of state or cannot make it to Berkshire?

Virtual family sessions are available for those who cannot make it out to the Berkshires. Distance should never be an obstacle in helping family members support their loved ones.

Why do family programs begin after individual treatment?

Family programming typically starts a month or two into treatment, giving you time to build a solid foundation upon which you can strengthen your family relationships. It also gives you time to understand your own situation before family becomes involved.

What if there is much hurt and estrangement among our family?

This is completely normal, as families oftentimes struggle to rebuild their bonds following substance misuse. Family sessions are held with a licensed addiction therapist, who will assist you and your family in discussing your history in a healthy, productive manner.

Can siblings, extended family, or close friends participate, not just parents or spouses?

Yes. Anyone who plays a supportive role in your life can participate in a family program, when appropriate.

What if a family session causes conflict rather than resolution?

Some conflict is expected during the early stages of a family program, but you will find that a licensed counselor will assist the whole family in finding ways to channel the conflict in a healthy manner. Many difficult family sessions are followed by breakthrough ones in which true, meaningful resolution occurs.

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