Most of what we know of rehab and treatment is having a person go to a rehab facility to get counseling and therapy sessions. While these are certainly an essential part of the treatment process for addiction, it leaves out one crucial element of the equation, the family of the addicted person. Thankfully, there are family therapy programs in Southern California if you know where to look. Family therapy can make a difference to not just the addicted person but also their loved ones in terms of recovery.
At Hillside Mission Recovery, we know that healing from addiction is about more than just the addict going to treatment. In this post, we are going to discuss what a family therapy program is, the benefits of family therapy treatment, and how to find family therapy and addiction treatment in Orange County.
What is Family Therapy?
Family therapy is a type of addiction treatment that focuses on family interactions and how it relates to addiction. This type of therapy is often used to help treat adolescents with substance use disorders. Integrating the family into the treatment process makes it easier to find potential triggers for drug use as well as help reinforce family support and help heal wounds in relationships caused by the addiction.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) lists five different types of family therapy that are used in substance use disorder treatment. Each of the different therapy types focuses on how family and the more significant community interactions relate to drug abuse, including unhealthy family behaviors, developing communication and healthy habits between members, redefining social constructs and interactions, and how to set boundaries within the family and community based on responses to actions.
Depending on the nature of the addiction and the correlation to family behavior, it is possible to create a plan to deal with not only potential triggers to drug and alcohol abuse, but to create emergency plans in the event the person going to relapse and to have a support network available to help someone when they do experience hard times.
What Are the Benefits of Family Therapy?
There are a number of ways that a person can benefit from family therapy, especially if they are struggling with addiction.
First, as we mentioned, it can help identify negative behaviors that family members may be engaging in that can trigger substance abuse.
It can also help to improve communication and a sense of unity between family members, as well as to help develop and maintain healthy boundaries for the relationships.
It can identify key family dynamics that help to solve problems rather than create them, such as how parents can help their adolescent child cope with the trauma of addiction, rather than scolding them for it.
It also helps to foster understanding of the situation the addicted person is in for the rest of the family members, and by understanding the nature of the addiction situation, you can get them the help they need and provide a better support system throughout the recovery process.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, family therapy helps reduce overall conflict within the family, especially regarding how to deal with the problem of addiction with one of the other family members. This can often be a difficult thing to accept amongst families, and that is what leads to fighting and conflict. By reducing conflict, it is possible to focus more on problem-solving.
How to Find Family Therapy Programs in Southern California
If you’re looking for family therapy programs in Southern California, then the first thing to do is check with your local treatment facility, like ours here at Hillside Mission Recovery. As part of our mission to help clients on the road to recovery, we provide support and assistance not only throughout the treatment process but also have what is known as aftercare planning once treatment is over. This can help find additional support for clients and their families.
At Hillside Mission Recovery, our Orange County rehab, we provide first-class luxury treatment, including medically supervised detox, inpatient residential stay, and aftercare planning for those who want to continue the journey after treatment.
If you have a loved one suffering from addiction and need help, don’t hesitate to contact us today!
