Having a family member in rehab can be a difficult time for all, and Gladstones recognizes that family members and partners of the addict need support too. Our Family Support and Wellness Programme focuses on giving the family an understanding of the psychological, medical, and spiritual aspects of their loved one’s addiction, and how it impacts on the whole family. We teach constructive ways to provide support for their loved one, including what behaviour is helpful and what behaviour is harmful to the addict. We then work on building problem resolution skills, through the enhanced understanding of each other’s needs.
Substance/alcohol abuse and other addictions are diseases that affect not only the addict, but everyone around them. It is a situation usually fraught with confusion, and varying amounts of stress and despair. Oftentimes, the family or partner of the addict is the first to recognize that their loved one is suffering from an active addiction. It is important that they learn what they can do to get their loved one proper help, and also how to protect themselves from the worst of the inevitable damage.
Family, and particularly partners of the addict, can be a source of invaluable support during their loved ones recovery. They usually provide insight through their experiences and views of the client. Gladstones understands every situation is unique and that each person has varying degrees of motivation and experience, so we only include family members in the client’s programme where appropriate and only with the family’s willingness and our client’s permission. We also offer support and referrals to experienced practitioners for family members that have a loved one who is not currently in treatment.
We provide a separate family-supportive forum to help families work through the fragile moments of their loved one’s recovery from addiction.
What they may not realise is that the whole family’s way of relating to each other has become toxic. After coping with chronically stressful situations, families need something to relieve them of the unhealthy alliances and dysfunctional coping strategies that they have used as a defense from the illness and pain caused by everyone feeling abandoned, lost and wounded.
Under the guidance of a professional mediator, the family can voice their feelings and concerns in a safe and supportive environment.
They will discover how to best overcome difficult issues and heal family relationships constructively. What works for one family, may not work for another, and so Gladstones draws on the numerous tools and practitioners at its disposal to discover what works best for your family.
Gladstones family support program equips families with the necessary knowledge and skills required to help restore the trust, love and intimacy in their relationships with each other. We provide families with the chance to participate directly in their loved-one’s recovery by offering family therapy workshops. These sessions offer a safe and moderated environment in which to vent their own frustrations and receive qualified advice, guidance and support. These sessions are very much focused on family health and well-being as we recognize that it is the innocent family members who suffer most from the unhealthy atmosphere created by drug and alcohol addiction.
