Substance-abuse treatment includes a component that brings together all family members, according to "Treating Substance Abuse" by Frederick Rotgers, Jonathan Morgenstern and Scott T. Walters. Family therapy is designed not only to assist the person involved in substance-abuse treatment but also to aid other family members in better understanding her situation and the role they play in the overall recovery process.
Functions
The underlying functions of family involvement in substance-abuse treatment include providing basic support for the person in the addiction-recovery process. Family involvement also can provide a supportive structure or system for the family members themselves.
Features
Education is a major feature of a family participation element of substance-abuse treatment. Family members receive education to better understand what the person in treatment is experiencing and how they as family members fit into the overall recovery scheme. Usually therapy is available for family members as well, typically in a group setting.
Types
Family involvement in substance abuse treatment comes in a number of forms. For example, an inpatient treatment program might have family members spend two or three days on location to participate in sessions on their own and with the patient. Outpatient treatment might include regularly scheduled sessions for family members throughout the course of the patient's course of treatment, such as a group therapy session per week and an educational program at another time during a particular week. Joint sessions with the patient also occur.
Misconceptions
A common misconception is that family involvement in a substance abuse program is not really substantive. However, family participation serves a meaningful purpose for both family members and te patient. The impact of substance abuse is significant and not limited merely to the abuser.
Benefits
Research demonstrates that individuals who go through a substance abuse treatment program that includes family involvement have a lower relapse rate than those who go it alone, according to "Substance Abuse Treatment: A Family Systems Perspective" by Edith M. Freeman.
References
- "Treating Substance Abuse"; Frederick Rotgers, Jonathan Morgenstern & Scott T. Walters; 2006
- "Cognitive Therapy of Substance Abuse"; Aaron T. Beck, Fred D. Wright, Cory F. Newman & Bruce S. Liese; 2001
- "Substance Abuse Treatment: A Family Systems Perspective"; Edith M. Freeman; 1993
