Family Therapy Programme | Benefits and How it is Implemented

Addiction is a cruel disorder that can creep into a person’s life and cause a breakdown in their relationships with others – especially with their family.

Primrose Lodge believes in treating everyone that’s impacted by the force of addiction; this means providing family addiction support to the loved ones of those addicted. In doing so, we hope to help people heal from any emotional wounds that may have been inflicted by addiction so that they can heal as a unit and support the recovery process together.

What is family therapy for addiction?

Family therapy for addiction where we offer a weekly family meeting for those whose relationships have become physically or emotionally separated from addiction and is part of our comprehensive rehab treatment.

Individuals who are close to recovering addicts and who may have been directly impacted by their addiction, are invited into our centre to have therapy alongside their loved one – this is known as a conjoint. Our qualified therapists will facilitate these meetings. It’s important to note that these sessions are not about blaming or shaming but listening, emphasising and healing.

Why is family therapy important during addiction treatment?

Addiction is a certified medical illness, and as with any other illness, it’s natural to want to save the people we love from pain and suffering. But addiction has a menacing way of letting us watch the trauma unfold whilst offering no way to help.

This is particularly true if you have a loved one who has been in denial about their addiction, and you may have become so frustrated and hurt with their actions that you have pleaded, begged, shouted, threatened, ignored, bribed your loved one to wake up to the reality of their problem. This has likely invoked numerous complex emotions within you and given way to arguments and relationship problems for you and your loved one.

Moreover, while your loved one undergoes rehabilitation treatment, they might experience thoughts and emotions related to you and any other loved ones. So family therapy for addiction allows them to heal by expressing their feelings, whether it be regret, love or appreciation for your relationship.

What are the benefits of family therapy?

Guilt and regret: You may have found yourself shouting, threatening, or ignoring your loved one out of frustration. This can result in people regretting their words or actions afterwards.
Sadness and loss: It’s common to feel sorrow from watching them become a shadow of their former self.
Fear and anxiety: You may experience anxiety about the future of your relationship, finances, and children, as well as worry for your loved one’s safety and well-being.
Denial and avoidance: You may have been in denial about your loved one’s addiction – particularly in the early stages.

Family therapy can help you to understand the underlying force behind your loved one’s addiction and thus help you to separate the disorder from them as a person.
We will show you how to best support your loved one whilst they are in treatment.
We can advise how best to support your loved one beyond rehab, so they remain on track for life-long recovery.
We can guide the family on how to respond in the event of relapse.
We can facilitate discussions where you’ll listen to each other’s experience of addiction to reach a place of understanding, empathy and forgiveness.
Our therapists are there to listen to your accounts of second-hand addiction and offer you advice on how to get further support.

We refuse to let addiction destroy your relationship

Primrose Lodge knows just how addiction can eat away at a person’s character to the point where they appear to be a shell of their old self. If you are watching someone you care about fight addiction, you may have felt a range of difficult emotions which has likely impacted your wellbeing too. Please understand that this is normal and our family addiction support councillors can help you and your loved one process what you’ve been through in a safe and professional environment.

If you want to know more about family therapy for addiction treatment, or if you have any questions about any of our rehab programmes, reach out to us today. One of our team members will be happy to speak with you, so get in touch.

Frequently asked questions

Can children attend family therapy?

Anyone under 18 is unable to attend our therapy sessions, but we can offer advice and support to addicts and family members who have children. If a child has been affected by their loved one’s addiction, they can contact Al-Anon family support groups, where children are welcome to attend meetings and seek support in a professional space.

What if my loved one doesn’t want to attend family therapy?

If your loved one doesn’t want to attend family therapy, but you do, we suggest sitting them down and explaining why you think it would be a good idea. For example, you could say something like, “ attending these sessions would mean a lot to me because I think it will help us to understand each other and heal our relationship”. If your loved knows how important it is to you, they may decide to attend the family therapy sessions.

Disclaimer:

The availability of specific treatment programmes may vary across UKAT centres. The specific programmes provided will be determined based on your treatment plan at your chosen facility. All treatments are subject to clinical assessment and programme availability at the time of admission. For further details on the programmes available your treatment plan, please contact our admissions team.

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