Whenever we hear about the drug and other addiction recovery programs, there is one thing that we often hear about Recovery And Rehabilitation.
‘Family Therapy’- Recovery And Rehabilitation
What does family therapy mean, and why do we need it in recovery and rehabilitation is a question you have probably asked at least once.
After all, you are paying for a credible recovery center, and it is important for you to wholly understand what you are paying for.
In short, when someone recovers from addiction and they are returning to their families after a long stay in the inpatient facility, it is important to create a healthy family environment.
This wouldn’t be possible if there was an unresolved family conflict. Plus, it can also take a dangerous turn, making the former patient relapse to the substances again.
In these family therapies, one can resolve these unresolved conflicts and start their relationship anew, which will immensely help the newly recovered former patient of addiction.
If you are enrolling in a detoxification center, it is important for them to offer family therapy in their plan. You can get more information about a detoxification center, which offers excellent family therapy in its rehabilitation program.
Now, let us first discuss the concept of family therapy and why you would need it.
Table of Contents
What Is Family Therapy
Family therapy is generally conducted after the recovery or before the recovery. This is where the patient sits with their family and discusses the trauma and conflicts, while there is a therapist present studying everything.
These therapy sessions are particularly important if someone belongs from a family who has a history of substance abuse.
If the addiction is too close to home, there are more chances of patients relapsing even after recovery.
Family therapy is also conducted for people who are concerned about their kids or parents in the rehabilitation center.
No, just to resolve conflict, family therapy is also important to give worried family members the reassurance that their loved ones would be okay.
Reasons Why Family Therapy Is Okay
Family trauma, conflict, history could be major causes for someone to get addicted to these drugs.
Thus, it is important to understand the different family traumas and why family therapy is necessary to recover the patient.
1. Family History Of Addiction
Not many will know this, but family addiction can bring about addiction in the next generation. It is rare, but it can happen.
Thus, it is important to study the family history of addiction when patients come for therapy. Now that the addiction is more of nature and not nurture, the treatment and family therapy has to be different than the rest.
2. Marital Issue
Marital issues are known as one of the pioneer causes for drug addiction among middle-aged couples or couples who get married young.
When the marital life starts getting too difficult to handle, the couple can get addicted to substances. Therefore, they have to resolve these issues, or else the recovery wouldn’t matter.
When two people are staying together, they do not have any other solace to go to. Thus, they must resolve these issues, or else relapses are inevitable.
3. Infidelity & Cheating
Infidelity & cheating are not sins that can destroy a home, but they can also make the hurt and betrayal take shelter in substances.
These make them escape their reality, and if the reality isn’t changed, they will go back to these substances.
This is why they need family therapy to make their reality better and choose a healthier way of coping, which is not drugs or alcohol.
4. Domestic Violence
Domestic violence can make a huge impact on someone’s mental health. We have heard accounts of people saying that drugs always seemed like the better option than dealing with that.
Whether it is the victim or the culprit who is initiating the violence, both can be dealing with some sought of a mental problem, causing them to do some of these substances.
5. Parental Divorce- Recovery And Rehabilitation
This, most of the time affects teens or young adults.
They are already unable to control the surge of hormones in their body, and now there is this new problem in their life.
It is mostly confusion that causes them to fall prey to addiction. However, it could also be the pressure to fit in with a friend group.
Now they are already seeing a marriage break; they don’t want to see their friends abandon them as well.
6. Financial Problems
Financial problems among families can be a cause for escape.
Escape with the help of harmful substances.
The worst part is the financial problems can be worse when you add substance addiction to it.
In family therapies, you can also discuss these problems without hesitation. The expert sitting on the opposite end will be able to take most of your problems into consideration.
7. LGBTQ Acceptance
LGBTQ+ non-acceptance is a crucial problem that is causing many teens to fall prey to activities like drug, alcohol, and opioid addiction.
This is mostly concerning the depression and severe anxiety, which can make them look for that euphoric escape.
If not for anything else, then family therapy is very much necessary for these cases. The patients already feel isolated, and substance abuse can make them isolate themselves even more.
It Starts At The Roots!
The root of any addiction is the environment. In this case, it is the family environment.
If you have a teen, you should be well aware of the trauma and family environment you are raising them in.
If parents suffer from an addiction problem, they should immediately seek help so that their children are not affected by this.
This is why family therapy, in general, is so important for disturbed and dysfunctional families.
I am an Ambitious girl with a special interest in writing and sharing my knowledge. I love to hangout with nature and learn from it. My words will display the power of nature to the best as I love to write about the environment.