Addiction doesn’t just affect the addict. It takes a horrible toll on husbands and wives, parents and children, and often extended families as well. It is frequently passed down through generations, creating a pattern of trauma which perpetuates itself time and again. Many researchers also feel that certain genetic factors make some families far more vulnerable to addiction than their peers. All of these statements are so widely believed that they are almost cliches at this point. Yet most conventional modalities for treating addiction focus purely on the individual addict and do little to heal families that have been torn apart and brutally traumatized. The time has come for treatment providers to focus more attention on the families of the addicted.
Stronger Together
We’ve written before about the strength that those in recovery can draw from group therapy and peer engagement. The benefits include strengthening bonds, imparting wisdom, and instilling confidence and hope. Group therapy works so well in part because surrogate families are created which allow the addict to draw necessary support from their peers. When actual families become involved in the process, these benefits increase exponentially.
Numerous studies have shown that involving families improves treatment outcomes. Addiction treatment coupled with family therapy has been shown to reduce relapse rates, improve medication adherence, reduce psychiatric symptoms, and lower overall stress levels. According to the US-based National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the benefits of family involvement include:
- Keeping the sufferer engaged and motivated during treatment
- Discovering more about addiction and its effects on the family as well as understanding how treatment is conducted and what is to be expected when it’s complete
- Enabling family members to make their voices heard, share feelings and concerns and ask important questions about a loved one’s addiction
- Offering the sufferer adequate and appropriate support after treatment
- Helping to ease feelings of fear, anger, stress, and confusion related to the addiction
- The chance for family members to develop skills and strategies to guide their loved one through the recovery process
- Improving the family’s communication and conflict resolution skills
- Offering the opportunity to address any mental health issues within the family, such as depression or anxiety, which could increase familial stress and contribute to relapse
Addiction Is A Family Problem
Dr. Gabor Mate has written eloquently about childhood trauma as a precursor to, and cause of, addiction. He feels that pain from childhood suffering becomes internalized, and leads adults into destructive cycles of self-medication. As Mate states, “hurt is at the center of all addictive behaviors. It is present in the gambler, the Internet addict, the compulsive shopper and the workaholic. The wound may not be as deep and the ache not as excruciating, and it may even be entirely hidden — but it’s there.”
A great deal of research seems to confirm the link between early trauma and addiction. A study in Atlanta found that participants who experienced physical, emotional, or sexual abuse as children and exhibited symptoms of PTSD were far more likely to suffer from substance abuse disorders. The study found that this increased risk of addiction was independent of any trauma suffered in adulthood. Of the subjects, lifetime substance dependency rates were 39% for alcohol, 34% for cocaine, 6.2% for opioids and 45% for marijuana. Another study looked at subjects who had been exposed to 0-10 types of adverse childhood experiences and found that subjects exposed to 5 or more were 7 to 10 times more likely to report illicit drug use problems. There are a number of other studies which appear to bear out Dr. Mate’s belief that addictions are rooted in childhood trauma.
We are inclined to accept Mate’s assertion that adverse childhood experience is a common factor in an overwhelming majority of addicts. We should also note that childhood trauma includes not just dramatic experiences like emotional loss, various types of abuse, and mental illness, but also more commonplace causes of harm such as depriving children of fundamental needs which must be met for healthy emotional and mental development. If an addicted family member claims that they suffer from childhood trauma, it’s important to remember that they aren’t necessarily accusing you of abuse or neglect, they’re simply sharing their pain.
Involving family in the treatment journey
Involving the family in treatment is invaluable, as it can allow the addict and their loved ones to make peace with the traumatic childhood experiences which lead to addiction. Forgiveness is an essential part of recovery, and opening up an honest and respectful dialogue with family members can lead to acceptance of the flaws and shortcomings which led to trauma, and offer the opportunity to start fresh. As the speaker in this powerful Ted Talk notes, forgiveness isn’t a shortcut to healing, but a path to freedom, which enables the person wronged to move on from painful memories and remove bitterness and negativity from their lives.
At Tabula Rasa Retreat we are firm believers in utilizing the deep bonds created by love, shared experiences, and understanding which only a family can offer. Finding forgiveness can remove the addict from their isolated state, and free their families from an endless cycle of negativity and recriminations. Addicts need to make peace with their pasts, and involving the family in this process can allow them to explore the causes of their pain and build the skills necessary to deal with it in a healthy manner. By working with your loved one as they go through the recovery process you won’t just help them to heal, you’ll also heal yourself.
For further information visit www.tabularasaretreat.com or call PT +351 965 751 649 UK +44 7961 355 530