Family Therapy

Many families are impacted by addiction. According to one study, more than one in ten children below age 18 live with at least one adult who suffers from a substance dependence disorder.  

Furthermore, 7.5 million children aged 17 or younger live with a parent or caregiver with an alcohol use disorder (AUD), a complicated disorder characterized by an inability to manage alcohol intake despite its adverse effects.

Family therapy programs can take various forms depending on who receives treatment and who is engaged. Still, they are all intended to support the individual in recovery and help families operate better. Numerous treatments, support networks, family days, family camps, parenting seminars, child play therapy, and other activities can be a part of programs. 

Family therapy gives family members the chance to talk about their interactions with one another and their thoughts about those interactions. It may involve individual counseling, which is used to share personal insights with the therapist to prepare the entire family for coming together during family therapy. Family members might discover whether they have unintentionally helped or hurt their loved one's addiction through family therapy in the recovery process. 

The foundation of family therapy is that a family is a unique system, and each member impacts how it runs. All family roles impact the family system and how addiction and recovery are experienced; these roles are frequently codependent. The entire system suffers when one person (in this case, a person receiving substance abuse treatment) is functioning at an impaired level. 

The "scapegoat," the family member who is often unjustly held responsible for all of the problems in the family, is an illustration of a family role in a dysfunctional family. The scapegoat frequently feels unappreciated and rejected. The "hero," who seems to be well-adjusted and high functioning, is another family role. The hero, who frequently tries to fix family concerns, creates the impression that the family is without any troubles. 

Although such family dynamics can be complicated and hard to recognize, experts can more accurately determine each member's function. Everyone in the room—from the relative to the individual seeking treatment—becomes aware of how they have contributed to various issues within the family dynamic when a medical expert or interventionist is there. People who are not drug addicts may find their conduct dysfunctional due to the efforts necessary to maintain an unjust system.

In these situations, family members might participate in organized sessions to enhance communication, settle disputes, and foster healing and growth. Relatives are included in family therapy to offer perspective and speed up resolution. Conflict resolution and improved relationships may be the outcome.

At Indah Recovery, we provide a holistic approach to helping families solve internal problems and addiction-related issues in the family. Often, the causes of conflicts in the family may not be known. Family members may also be unaware of the problems but getting real help from the right place is beneficial.