How Can Families Help? A Guide to Support for Loved Ones


In This Article
It’s important to understand that addiction is a complex disease with several factors that affect its development. When a family member or loved one struggles with the condition, everyone around them can be affected.
Let’s discuss addiction’s effects on the family and what the available resources are to help everyone in the recovery process.
How Does Addiction Affect Families?
It can be emotionally taxing to deal with an addicted person. Families affected by their loved one’s addiction often experience anger, depression, anxiety, arguments, and emotional outbursts.
Sometimes, they may also have to take on certain responsibilities. For example, children may have to take on parental roles to take care of a parent struggling with addiction.
Other ways addiction can affect families include:
- Physical health problems
- Sleep disturbances
- Anxiety
- Legal and financial troubles
The stigma around addiction can often make families feel ashamed, leading them to isolate themselves. They might minimize contact with friends or the community for fear of judgment and discrimination.
How to Help Your Loved One Overcome Addiction?
Although there are a lot of challenges to helping your loved one overcome addiction, it is possible. Here are some things you can do to help:
- Research: Learn about addiction as a disease and its impact on the brain.
- Seek support: Support groups like Al-Anon or Nar-Anon offer guidance, coping techniques, and resources for dealing with your loved one’s addiction.
- Practice self-care: Prioritize healthy eating, exercise, sleep, stress-reducing techniques, and setting boundaries.
- Family therapy: Family therapy provides a safe space to address problems, rebuild trust, and create healthy boundaries.
- Empathy and encouragement: Provide support, listen without judgment, and offer encouragement during difficult times.
- Set healthy boundaries: This might involve not tolerating any abusive behavior, disallowing substances at home, and not bailing them out of situations.
- Avoid enabling them: Don’t make excuses for your loved one’s bad behavior, fix problems for them, or give them money to indulge in their addiction.
Keep in mind your family’s dynamics are unique, and addiction affects families differently. By finding the right resources, support, and treatment, you can help your loved one overcome addiction, creating a healthier environment.
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What’s the Link Between Addiction and Mental Health?
Oftentimes, people struggling with addiction also have underlying mental health conditions. This can include conditions like anxiety, depression, ADHD, and PTSD, to name a few.
Dealing with a mental illness alongside a substance use disorder is often referred to as a “co-occurring disorder.” Additionally, a mental illness can worsen addiction and vice versa.
In some cases, people may self-medicate with drugs and alcohol to manage their conditions. This can lead to a dangerous cycle of substance abuse and worsening mental health problems.
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Treatment Options for Addiction
It’s important to understand that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to addiction or mental health problems. Recovery involves a combination of therapies, medications, and lifestyle changes.
Talk to a doctor or addiction specialist for recommendations tailored to your specific situation. Here’s an overview of some widely used and effective treatment options:
Treatment | Description |
Inpatient treatment | Involves checking yourself into a rehab facility for 24-hour medical supervision. |
Outpatient treatment | A treatment program where you are freely allowed to leave the rehab facility. |
Dual diagnosis treatment | A treatment program that addresses co-occurring mental health conditions alongside addiction |
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) | Involves using FDA-approved medication, counseling, and therapy to treat addiction |
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) | A short-term therapy technique that explores the link between thought patterns and addiction |
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) | A specialized therapy for PTSD and trauma, which helps the brain reprocess traumatic memories so they’re less distressing. |
Support groups and aftercare programs | Provides a much-needed community to help maintain sobriety after treatment |
Medications like antidepressants or anti-anxiety may be prescribed to manage co-occurring conditions alongside addiction. Meanwhile, some medications like buprenorphine or naloxone can be used to manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
How to Find Help
Various online resources and websites offer directories of local or online support groups, treatment centers, webinars, and articles on addiction. You can call helplines run by organizations like SAMHSA (1-800-662-HELP) to find treatment resources.
Additionally, you can contact local mental health centers within your area. You can even go to counseling clinics for referrals to therapists specializing in treating families of substance abusers.
Things to Keep in Mind
Looking for help isn’t a sign of weakness. By finding the right resources, therapist, and treatment, it’s possible to help your loved one overcome an addiction.
Recovery is a long-term journey, so don’t get discouraged if nothing changes overnight. Be patient with your loved one, learn new ways to navigate your situation, and keep moving forward.
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Related Articles
- Lander et al. “The impact of substance use disorders on families and children: from theory to practice.” Soc Work Public Health, 2013.
- Mardani et al. “Challenges in addiction-affected families: a systematic review of qualitative studies.” BMC Psychiatry, 2023.
- “Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Family Therapy.” Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US), 2020.
- Howard, M. “Family Dynamics of Addiction and Recovery.” Grand Canyon University, 2022.
- Ulaş, E., & Ekşi, H. “Inclusion of Family Therapy in Rehabilitation Program of Substance Abuse and Its Efficacious Implementation.” The Family Journal, 2019.
- Hogue et al. “Family involvement in treatment and recovery for substance use disorders among transition-age youth: Research bedrocks and opportunities.” Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 2021.

