Family Therapy For Addiction in Tennessee
Being that families, even if not extremely close, tend to operate in units, it comes as no surprise that when someone is experiencing substance use disorder, that other family members experience it, too. And while the individual who is using is often distanced either physically, mentally, or emotionally from the rest of the family, the other family members have to cope with how their loved one’s addiction has impacted them. Unfortunately, when addiction is active, nobody in the family wins, rather everyone suffers battle wounds that can take a long time to heal.
Family involvement in treatment is an important part of your loved one’s recovery process, as well as your own healing process. We have found that individual, long-term recovery is more likely to be sustained when family members are involved and that this involvement can in-turn provide support for families struggling with the effects of substance abuse.
Treatment and recovery at JourneyPure focus on improving mental, physical, emotional and social well-being. In order to address the whole person and provide a safe and meaningful therapeutic process, we will be guiding you through experiential activities and providing education about the common struggles of families with loved ones who are involved in treatment and recovery.
We offer private family therapy, couples therapy and out intensive family weekend program.
What to Expect at Our Family Weekend Program
The family program is a two-day program that builds on itself as the weekend progresses. For this reason, we ask for commitment from participants to attend both days. You will be involved in a combination of psychoeducation, experiential activities and group processing. The activities will take place both indoors and outdoors. You will also find from gathering with other families who have been on a similar journey and hearing their stories, that you are not alone. Our goal is to help families break down unhelpful barriers, improve their health and wellbeing by continuing their healing journey beyond the family program.
Importance of our Family Therapy for Addiction
According to the U.S. Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, there are commonly shared patterns that occur within families that are experiencing active addiction. These patterns include the following:
- Denial
- Negative talking and thinking
- Inconsistency
- Self-medication
- Anger
- Skewed parental expectations
Every single one of these points can completely threaten the wellness of all in a family unit, which is why our Tennessee family therapy for addiction program is so important. For example, when a loved one is abusing drugs and/or alcohol, it is not uncommon for him or her to deny the severity of their use, nor is it uncommon for their loved ones to do the same. In many cases, experiencing such a devastating disease like addiction can trick anyone into denying the severity of the problem at hand. Through that denial, though, can come anger and negative talking/thinking that only exacerbates the addiction. Family members, even if in denial, can become angry and resentful of the addicted loved one and his or her actions and easily begin to think negatively about him or her or the overall situation with the family. And when that negativity gets spoken into existence, members of the family can become overwhelmed by the sheer weight that addiction is putting on them. Some family members might turn to the use of drugs and/or alcohol, too, as it becomes more important to drown out the chaos of the family issues than to participate in them any longer.
These patterns are more than common in families with people who are actively addicted to drugs and/or alcohol. In fact, they are considered the norm. Continuing to operate in this type of pattern, regardless of who is using and who is not, only lays the groundwork for continued upset and failure within the family. Therefore, obtaining a family addiction therapy program can be life-saving, as it can help all members of the family address the core of their own personal and familial issues in an effort to bring about healing, communication, and strength.
Types of Family Addiction Therapy Programs
Family therapy can be but is usually not as simple as, gathering a family into a room and having them talk out their differences. Instead, there are several different family therapies that can be utilized when treating a family that has been rocked by the disease of addiction. Some of the most common types of family therapy for addiction include the following:
- Family Systems Model – The family systems model focuses on how family members tend to revolve around the user and his or her needs and works to break that pattern. Instead of continuing to revolve around the user in a negative way, families learn how to continue to function with the user in their lives, but to do so in a positive way that no longer enables him or her or puts their own wellbeing at risk.
- Family Disease Model – The family disease model explains that families also become “sick” when a loved one is active in his or her addiction. This “sickness” can lead to issues like codependency, which can make the entire situation worse. Through this model, families are taught that their behaviors can be modified in a manner that can treat their symptoms of living in a family where substance use disorder is occurring.
- Multi-Dimensional Family Therapy – By bringing the entire family together (with or without the user) this type of program utilizes several different treatment modalities that are designed to help improve upon the behaviors and emotions of the family, as well as the environment in which they all live.
- Cognitive Behavioral Family Therapy – Cognitive behavioral family therapy places emphasis on teaching family members how to modify the negative behaviors that contribute to the familial chaos. This includes recognizing the negative behaviors, utilizing skills to modify them, and going forward with more appropriate behaviors in an effort to promote healthy family functioning.
Our Tennessee family addiction therapy program can make all the difference to those who are grappling with the impacts of addiction. When families come together and make the time to participate in family therapy, they can all work towards the common goal of a healthy family unit, regardless of if their addicted loved one chooses to participate or not.
Get Professional Help Through JourneyPure’s Family Therapy For Addiction
Are you or someone in your family struggling with a substance use disorder? This disease can be extremely challenging to live with and can even cost people their own lives. However, when treatment is obtained, those who are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol can get a second chance at a healthy life.
Do not wait any longer. If you and your family need help, reach out to our family therapy for addiction in Tennessee right now. We can help.