Substance use disorders (SUDs) can affect more than just those who are struggling with them. Oftentimes family members, friends, and even relationship partners are negatively impacted by the power of the disease. That’s why Lilac Recovery Center in San Diego offers family therapy services for our addiction treatment clients an their loved ones.
At Lilac Recovery Center, our goal is to provide struggling individuals with the support and resources they need to overcome substance abuse. We believe everyone deserves the chance to reach their full potential, and we are devoted to helping you and your family get there. Our treatment center is proud to offer family therapy for addiction as just one of the constructive methods you can use to change your life.
How Substance Use Disorder Affects Families
It can be difficult for individuals who are deep in a substance use disorder to understand the full impact it has on those who care about them.
As a family member, it can be incredibly frightening to watch someone you love go down a path that you know is dangerous. However, there is only so much that you can do before it is time to intervene or set boundaries. Many families have had to sacrifice their relationships with the people they love to stop enabling their behavior. The mental, physical, and financial stress that substance use disorders cause can hurt both the victim and their family.
A few common burdens that family members may take on without realizing include:
- Setting weak boundaries
- Watching their family structure deplete
- Experiencing financial issues
- Dealing with unresolved anger
- Feeling tension between family members
- Suffering from poor mental health, anxiety, or depression
- Having broken relationships
- Fearing for their own safety and that of their struggling loved one
What Is Family Therapy in Addiction Treatment?
At Lilac Recovery Center, family therapy, otherwise known as family counseling, is a form of psychotherapy that allows a family to address their needs and concerns together.
Family therapy sessions in our San Diego and Valley Center locations are led by a skilled therapist who is specifically trained in improving communication and connection between family members. This kind of counseling gives everyone the chance to discuss their own feelings and the issues that are affecting them. An experienced therapist can then take those feelings and constructively address what the family can do to help each other. Family therapy is meant to offer struggling loved ones the opportunity to mend broken relationships and learn to trust each other again.
How Family Therapy Differs from Basic Therapy
The family counseling sessions offered at Lilac Recovery Center differ from the other individual therapy sessions clients participate in because it is family group focused. While basic cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is performed one-on-one, cognitive behavioral family therapy (CBFT) is dependent on a group coming together and discussing their issues collectively.
Both forms of counseling work to address the unique mental health concerns of a patient. However, family therapy discusses the individual needs of a family, the group’s needs as a whole, and how each member can work to help each other. In one-on-one CBT, the patient confides in their therapist and addresses their relationships without the people who are involved being present. We’ve found that family therapy can be exceptionally helpful for a group that is struggling to maintain boundaries and relationships due to substance use disorder in the family.
Family Counseling Helps the Group as a Whole
Our family counseling services can play a fundamental role in healing a family as a unit.
Below are just five ways that participating in this type of therapy can help you get through your loved one’s SUD:
Coping Mechanisms and Support
A substance use disorder has the power to take over anyone’s life. For family members watching someone they care for being hurt by this disease, it can be extremely difficult to cope. Family counseling at Lilac Recovery Center offers everyone who is being impacted by an SUD the chance to gain valuable coping skills. Family therapists have immense insight into how SUDs can affect each person and can provide them with coping skills that are fit for their situation. For the individual dealing with an SUD, having coping skills is essential for recovery. Developing strong coping mechanisms together can also help family members check in on each other.
Healing Relationships
When a family is affected by their loved one’s substance misuse, it can create tension, stress, and anger between the members of their groups. This can drastically impact their relationships or even sever them temporarily. By participating in family therapy during treatment at Lilac Recovery Center, an individual can work on mending broken relationships with their family members. This also gives families the opportunity to discuss the ways they were hurt and how they can all work together to overcome this. Healing fragmented relationships is a massive step in the recovery process.
Open Communication
We believe communication is critical when attempting to mend relationships and work together to resolve problems. Family counseling provides a safe environment where people can feel comfortable enough to discuss their issues and then address them collectively. Our family counselors can aid in improving communication between loved ones in more ways than one. By helping the group to constructively discuss serious topics, address their important feelings, and find ways to productively talk about change, family therapy establishes open communication that can help everyone.
Family’s Mental Health
We know all too well how heavy the burdens of an SUD can be for a family. This is because watching someone you care for struggle can also take a toll on you. SUDs are known to trigger mood swings, poor judgment, and impulsivity in those who have them. This often causes fights between families, sometimes so severe that they decide to cut all ties. By attempting to mend the relationships between loved ones and addressing the stress that each person is dealing with, participating in family counseling during and after treatment can help improve the group’s mental health collectively.
Restructures Family Unit
Whether a relationship was broken or completely severed, family counseling sessions at Lilac Recovery Center give individuals who want to work on their issues the opportunity to do so. With consistent sessions and a helpful therapist, group counseling can slowly help to restructure a family. This is done by relearning how to communicate, establishing boundaries, and dealing with emotions properly. For people who feel like they have lost their family to substance misuse, participating in family therapy can help.
Family Therapy and Substance Abuse
Participating in family therapy during treatment at Lilac Recovery Center can have some astounding impacts on the person with SUD, too. Here are some of the advantages of family therapy for substance abuse and addiction treatment.
Understand the Impact SUD Has on Family
Family therapy during a treatment program presents individuals with the chance to understand the impact of their SUD. Many people tend to not realize how powerful their substance disorder was until they understand how it hurts the ones they love. Family therapy gives your relatives the chance to share their feelings and helps you to understand how you can work to improve.
Opportunity to Mend Relationships
Sometimes when people are caught up in substance misuse, they neglect the relationships that mean the most to them. If you lost a loved one or broke a relationship that was important to you, family counseling offers you the opportunity to mend that connection. While it might be difficult for each person to fully heal, going to therapy and discussing your needs can change your relationship with every session. Plus, working on your relationships can help you stay motivated during your time with us.
Provides Much-Needed Support
Most people who are lucky enough to be close to their family are also fortunate enough to have a strong support system. While your family may have set boundaries while you were struggling, mending your relationships, and restoring communication can be extremely beneficial. Talking to your family and other loved ones can provide you with much-needed support that can ultimately aid you on the road to recovery.
Another Form of CBT
Therapy is an integral step of our program here at Lilac Recovery Center. In most cases, someone being treated for an SUD will go through cognitive behavioral therapy with our trained counselors. This form of therapy focuses on addressing your thoughts and varying mental health struggles to reduce symptoms and find ways to cope.
When patients are participating in therapy during their personalized recovery program in addition to family counseling, they may receive a wide range of benefits from going to double the cognitive behavioral therapy. They may find it is also easier to address certain topics when their family is around, helping them to make sure they discuss all their concerns properly.
Prevents Relapse
Through the mending of important relationships and the development of powerful coping skills, family therapy has been found to better prevent relapse in those who are recovering. Family counseling not only provides those who are struggling with a support group, but it also tends to continually motivate the individual to keep working on themselves for their family. With the help of those who love you, you can continue to fight on your journey of recovery long after you leave our center.
Why Choose Lilac Recovery Center?
At Lilac Recovery Center in San Diego and Valley Center, we help heal families dealing with addiction.
That’s why our luxury treatment center is focused on providing addiction treatment services for everyone affected by an SUD. Our facility tailors each treatment program to each of our individual residents and their special needs, allowing us to curate a healing experience that helps them recover at their own speed.
We offer individuals the chance to take care of themselves in a luxury recovery center that is full of resources that can change their life for the better. Whether you finally decide it’s time to get treatment for yourself or you are a worried family member, Lilac Recovery Center offers fundamental services for those impacted by substance use disorders in San Diego.
Family Therapy Programs in San Diego
If you are interested in participating in our family counseling programs while your loved one is seeking treatment at Lilac Recovery Center, please reach out to one of our expert staff. We take pride in offering some of San Diego’s most trusted addiction therapy programs. From mindfulness training to family therapy, we provide a full range of counseling, therapy, and luxury addiction treatment in San Diego.
