It might be a father that drinks, a mother who abuses prescription medication or a teenager hooked on a street drug. Whatever the situation, substance abuse not only affects the person who is addicted but also the entire family. Due to its extensive nature, addiction needs to be addressed by the household as a whole. This means everyone needs treatment and support. Learn how to develop skills of strength in a family dealing with substance abuse.
Step 1
Talk with each other honestly about the substance abuse occurring in your family. Have family meetings in which you review materials regarding causes and effects of the drug addiction. Include the youngest members of the family, but talk to them on their level of understanding. Get your feelings out without trying to be judgmental.
Step 2
Educate yourself and your family regarding drug abuse. Knowledge is power so learning as much as possible about substance abuse will help you as a family fight against it. Share information with each other.
Step 3
Address issues caused by the drug addiction before things spiral out of control. People often enter denial mode when someone in the family is abusing drugs and ignore the consequences of the behavior. Acknowledge problems such as aggression, theft, property damage, verbal or physical violence.
Step 4
Insist that the family member abusing alcohol or other drugs gets treatment. This insistence needs to come from the entire household. The abuser must seek help to remain in the home. The family needs to bond together to make sure this happens.
Step 5
Seek family counseling in which all members receive the help they need. The Families and Substance Abuse website says therapy will help mend familial bonds and assess the degree to which a person may be helping or unknowingly sabotaging the addiction of the family member. Therapy strengthens everyone individually as it teaches skills to deal with the complicated issue of substance abuse by a loved one.
Step 6
Focus on improving family dynamics not only concerning the drug abuse problem but all issues within the household. This all inclusive approach to improving family dynamics in a situation involving drug abuse is recommended by the National Library of Medicine.
Tips and Warnings
- Rebuild trust bit by bit following a family member's substance abuse treatment. For example, you can extend a measured amount of trust by allowing the recovering person to stay alone in the home for brief periods of time. If he proves himself responsible, you can increase these time periods.
