When Jill R. finished her first day of family programming at JourneyPure at the River, she needed an outlet for her emotions so she poured her heart into a journal, easily filling five pages.
“I had to do that for my own self-healing,” she said.
It’s been a challenging year for Jill and her son, who at just 18 has struggled with alcohol and marijuana, admitting that at the height of his addiction had been drinking a fifth or more a day. He had also been stealing, meeting with dealers and when Jill met her breaking point, she kicked him out of the house. When he wore out that same welcome at his grandparents’ home, he lived in his car.
“I knew as soon as he took his first drink he was going down and he was going down fast and hard. And he did,” said Jill. “I was not ready to rescue him. I said, son, I love you and I would love to have you home but you’ve got to go get treatment.”
Luckily her son agreed and they found JourneyPure at the River.
Family Programming Reconnects Families After Addiction
Family Programming at JourneyPure is a way to support Jill and others who have family members affected by substance abuse. There are three overarching goals, says Family Program Director Stephanie Adams, which are positive reconnection, education and helping the families understand how to help themselves and others during the loved one’s recovery. Alternating weekends are dedicated to the families of men or women and offer two full days of activities designed to educate loved ones about addiction and the science behind it as well as to provide team-building activities that foster communication and teach families to create healthy boundaries.
“There’s a lot of fear and anxiety,” Adams said in regards to family members upon their arrival. “We have to reassure them when they get here – everyone breathe. Everything is going to be ok. This is going to be a good day!”
For Jill and her son, being with other families in a group therapy setting was what they needed to move forward.
“It was an incredible experience and the communications exercises were excellent,” said Jill. “I can’t speak highly enough of the family weekends.”
Jill admits, however, the weekend is emotionally exhausting. The pain surfaces and has to be addressed buts says that JourneyPure provided the necessary tools.
“There’s nothing that will hinder my love for him, she said. “He’s forgiven.”
Experiencing JourneyPure Programs
Families also get a taste of some specialty programs offered for their loved one at the River. Our experiential therapies like equine, art and music therapy are a great way to bring families together. In one exercise, the family is asked to take their recovery story and work together to turn that into an image, which is painted on canvas and becomes a strong symbol of the weekend together and something they take with them.
Another aspect of the family weekend is connecting families with tools outside treatment that offer support throughout their loved one’s recovery. A representative from Al-Anon presents about opportunities for continued support through regular meetings. Families also learn how their loved one will have one year of support and continuing care through the JourneyPure Coaching™ app.
Get Help for Your Loved One
Family Programming is a wonderful way to understand the treatment your loved one is receiving while getting the support you need to move forward. If you have a family member that needs help beating an addiction, please contact us today and our admissions department will walk you through the process – from a free benefits check to an overview of treatment options. We are here to help.
From the JourneyPure team where we get to explore a wide variety of substance abuse- and mental health-related topics. With years of experience working alongside those suffering from substance abuse and mental health issues, we bring important messages with unparalleled knowledge of addiction, mental health problems, and the issues they cause.