A Family in Recovery is a specific type of family that is often dealing with high stress; even traumatic events, often chronic, sometimes acute emotions. They are either struggling with a family member in the disease of addiction or being a family in which someone has recently entered recovery from the disease and the family as a whole or in part are impacted Through my workshops, practice and my work at a recovery program for 6 years, I have collaborated with over 800 families and thousands of family members in this challenging world of families trying to find their way back to new health and well-being. I’d like to make that experience available to you.
Stephanie Brown, PhD., wrote about what that road to recovery looks like for the entire family based on her five-year study of families struggling with addiction. The Families in Recovery Study identified four stages that a family experiences on their way back from the disease of addiction.
Families can use that information as aguide to give them a structure and some parameters to help themselves and the family member they are focused on.
I encourage you to consider a consultation about your situation.
While recovery is an individual challenge, the position a family takes in relationship to its family member in recovery has a powerful effect on what shape the road to recovery can take. People can often feel lost in early recovery or over use old behaviors in their effort to continue their role to “make things better”. The results can be counter-productive. Using the Families in Recovery Information can give families direction and a touch stone to use to make informed decisions with more productive outcomes.
In addition, I host a group called “Setting Boundaries with Addiction in the Family” on Saturdays. This is another way to get support and guidance during this challenging journey.