When an individual is struggling with an addiction, they are not the only ones who suffer. The families and friends who have to watch them struggle also suffer. In addition, the people that have to live with and have direct, daily contact with an alcoholic are even more affected by their addiction. Unfortunately, there is little that the family of an alcoholic can do when that individual not yet recognized that they have an addiction and/or are not yet ready to get help. For this reason, there is almost as much help and support available for the families of alcoholics as there is for the alcoholic themselves. Here are some resources available for an alcoholic’s loved ones.
Therapy
What many people do not understand about alcoholism is just how much an alcoholic’s addiction also affects everyone around them. This is particularly true when the alcoholic is a part of your immediate family. Humans are amazingly adaptable and while this can be healthy and beneficial, it also means that at times we simply adapt to a toxic environment instead of recognizing it for what it is and addressing it appropriately.
While a person might leave a job or other toxic situation when they recognize it for what it is, however, you can’t just leave a family quite as easily. This can make the families of alcoholics feel trapped. They can’t fix the situation – or the alcoholic – but they also can’t always just leave them either. Instead, they often learn to develop a number of different coping strategies. While many of these innate coping strategies can be effective to a degree, they can also serve to simply enable the alcoholic even further and create an even more toxic environment in the long run.
There are numerous therapists, however, who specialize in treating both addicts and their families. While the coping strategies that many people develop naturally to cope with an alcoholic may be unhealthy, that doesn’t mean there aren’t much better coping strategies that can be learned. In many cases, however, these healthy coping strategies are often counterintuitive, which is why they are not the strategies we innately gravitate towards. Therapy can help the families of addicts and alcoholics understand and develop these better coping strategies that do not enable the alcoholic and also create a safer environment for everyone around them.
Camps and retreats
Dealing with an alcoholic can demand and incredible amount of emotional and psychological energy. Sometimes, the families of alcoholics need a safe space where they can devote that energy to working on their own healing and growth. When an alcoholic is first seeking treatment, it is often recommended that they separate from their families for a time so that they can focus on their own healing. The same is also true in reverse, particularly if the alcoholic refuses to acknowledge their addiction and seek treatment. In that case, it is the family that sometimes has to remove themselves from the situation for a time so that they can focus on their own healing and have some time to begin to develop those healthier coping strategies.
Support groups
The toll that alcoholism takes on their family is so widely recognized that there are men specific support groups already established for them. Two of these are called Alanon and Alateen. Alanon is generally for the spouses and close friends of alcoholics, while Alateen is for their teenaged children. Although Alateen is predominantly geared towards teenagers, there are generally no specific age requirements. In some cases, young children may be too young to really comprehend or understand the ramifications of living with an alcoholic.
In many cases, however, the environment created by the alcoholic forces children to grow up much more quickly and take on adult responsibilities long before they should otherwise have to. This can also mean Alateen might be suitable for some children long before they reach their teenage years. If you or someone you know is struggling with an alcohol addiction or has an alcoholic in their family, please reach out today. There is a wide range of support available for both alcoholics and their families. Our trained counselors are available 24 hours a day to simply give you information to pass on to others or to get you the help and support you or your loved ones need. Give us a call today at 833-285-1315.
