Should My Family Be Involved in My Drug Treatment

Going to substance abuse treatment for a drug addiction can be a hard decision to make, and attending drug treatment can be a long and painful process. But in the end, it can save lives and give people another chance to turn things around and live free from the binds of drug addiction. In addition to deciding to go to treatment, there is also the question of whether or not you should involve your family. This can be as hard as making the decision to go to treatment. You may feel ashamed or embarrassed of your drug abuse problem, and you may not want to burden your family. But your family can offer much-needed support throughout the process of recovery which will benefit you greatly during drug treatment and after.

How Addiction Affects the Family

You may think that you drug addiction affects only you, but this is not true. It affects every one that is close to you in a variety of different ways. You may not realize the extent to which your substance abuse affects your family members. Addiction is not only a disease for the person that uses drugs, it is a family disease. Involving your family members in your treatment process will not only give you more support, it will also help them to understand exactly what you are going through. People that do not have substance abuse problems may not comprehend the severity of the situation, and how it is actually a disease and not just a habit.

Most drug treatment centers offer family therapy. During this process, family members can come in to the facility, meet with treatment professionals, and learn not only the severity of the addiction but how it affects them as well. Drug abuse is a destructive cycle that can tear families apart. By participating in the recovery process, families can be brought closer together, helping them to offer more support to the individual going through the recovery process. Family involvement is often strongly encouraged since it can be beneficial for everyone.

Enabling & Codependency

Two of the most destructive aspects of addiction that affect family members are enabling and codependency. Enabling occurs when a family member of an addict does certain things that they believe are helping the situation, when in fact they are just worsening the problem. This may include giving the addicted individual money, a place to live, making excuses for their actions, cleaning up their mess, and hiding their substance abuse problem. In doing these things, family members might think that they are protecting the drug addict, but they are really just making it okay for them to continue using drugs. This cycle can go on for years, getting worse and worse with time.

Codependency is when a family member becomes so involved in the addictive behavior of the one they love that they are dependent upon their needs and control. They put their own needs on the backburner and focus on what they can do to help the addict. This situation also worsens with time, as the family member may start to organize their whole life around caring for the drug addict. Both enabling and codependency rationalize and vindicate the destructive behavior of the addict, allowing them to continue to use. These issues are addressed in drug addiction treatment, and by involving your family in the recovery process, they can learn how to avoid falling back into this cycle and how to offer healthy support instead.