Finding Support for the Family During Drug and Alcohol Detox

Addiction can take a dramatic and challenging toll on a person’s life. People who develop substance use disorder (SUD) often find their finances, relationships, and health ruined. As addiction affects a person’s life, they will begin making regrettable decisions that will hurt them and those who love them.

This is why addiction affects families so deeply.

People will often discuss how addicted individuals can find support during their recovery journey. However, many people are unaware of the resources available to support the families of those struggling with addiction. This is unfortunate because addiction affects the entire family unit.

Watching a loved one struggle with addiction and not knowing how to support them can be very emotionally difficult. Finding support for family members is vital to ensure everyone affected by addiction can heal.

What Resources Are Available for Families During Recovery?

Contacting your local recovery center, support group, or local rehab can be an excellent first step in finding addiction recovery resources your family can use. Resources in the following three categories can be especially useful:

• Family therapy

• Family week

• Financial support

#1 Family Therapy

Most addiction centers will provide family therapy for the loved ones of addicted individuals. Family therapy is crucial to recovery because it allows the addicted individual to reconnect and heal their relationships with their parents, siblings, or other affected family members.

Family therapy addresses the concerns of family members as well as those of the person in recovery. In family therapy, individuals who are struggling with addiction can better understand how they have hurt their loved ones and reconcile with them. It can be challenging for people struggling with SUD to have the courage to apologize to their family members once they realize the gravity of their actions. They may become consumed with guilt and shame that prevents them from repairing these relationships.

Having a mediator in the room during family therapy is a helpful tool that can help keep the conversation on track and provide security for everyone involved.

For an individual who is struggling with addiction to admit their wrongs is a monumental step in the healing process. However, family therapy also recognizes that the life of the person in recovery is not all roses and sunshine. Trauma often leads to addiction, and there may be instances through familial relationships that caused feelings of depression, anger, and anxiety.

For these reasons, family therapy also focuses on ensuring that all family members, including the person in recovery, are held accountable for their actions. In family therapy, everyone is taught better ways to communicate and interact. These lessons usually culminate into a family contract that lays out all family members’ boundaries and expectations. This allows the family to rebuild their relationships positively and constructively.

#2 Family Week

Aside from family therapy, most addiction centers, especially if they are inpatient, will offer family weeks. Detox may be hard for the one experiencing it, but it can also be challenging for siblings and parents not to be able to see their loved one for an extended period. While a loved one is in recovery, their family may be very worried about them, which is why family week is so important.

Like family therapy, family week offers an opportunity for family members to develop new coping mechanisms. It can help them understand how to interact with addiction. Additionally, it can help them find ways to build a more positive relationship with their loved one while they are seeking treatment.

Family week offers an opportunity for loved ones to connect with their family member who is struggling in a safe environment and check in on them and their progress. Family week also provides support intended to help family members. For example, during family week, families may be taught how to support their loved ones in a healthy and productive way. Family week recognizes that addiction affects the entire family, and it can guide families in how to navigate the next steps of recovery.

Family week provides a support system for family members who have a loved one struggling with an addiction. All family members of individuals at the treatment center are invited to participate, which means that your family will interact with other families struggling with the same heartbreaks. This level of peer support will help families understand that they are not alone.

Making connections with other families in similar situations may help them deal with the stress of having a loved one in treatment.

#3 Financial Support

There are no bones about it: detox and long-term treatment can be incredibly expensive, especially if the one who is struggling with an addiction is still on their parent’s insurance. Luckily, most treatment facilities accept a wide variety of insurance plans. Depending on your coverage at detox facilities, your family may still need financial help to support their loved one during rehab.

Fortunately, there are detox facilities that offer scholarships or grants that will help cover the costs of detox. By providing scholarships and grants, financial aid can bring peace of mind to the family while their loved one focuses on treatment.

Finding the Right Treatment Facility for You and Your Family

As humans, we are innately social creatures. For this reason, it is important for you to have a support system while you or your loved one recovers. Not all detox facilities are the same. It is essential to investigate the resources offered at different detox facilities before you or your loved one commits to attending.

One of the best ways to research detox facilities is by speaking to admissions counselors. An admissions counselor can give you in-depth details about the programs offered at their detox facility. They can help you determine whether or not they will offer enough support for you and your family.

Additionally, admissions counselors can help verify what your insurance will and will not cover during your stay. If they determine that you and your family are in a difficult financial position, they may be able to help direct you to financial aid resources for your recovery.

The Forge Recovery Center Supports You and Your Loved One During Drug Rehabilitation

The Forge Recovery Center understands how important family connections are during recovery. With us, your level of involvement is up to you. You’re able to check in with us any time you’d like to discuss your loved one’s progress. Our family program is also a great way to rebuild relationships stressed by addiction.

It all starts with a phone call. Contact The Forge Recovery Center today, and we’ll work together to support you and your family during addiction recovery.

Written by

Brian Moore

Content Writer

Reviewed by

Jeremy Arzt

Chief Clinical Officer

November 2, 2022