Family support is invaluable in addiction recovery. Unfortunately, some families or family members can be toxic, have unhealthy dynamics, or are abusive. People with these characteristics can be more harmful than helpful to loved ones in recovery. However, for individuals with healthy family relationships, having familial support can mean the difference between a relapse or long life of recovery.
Understanding healthy family dynamics is vital to identifying the roles family members can plan in a person's addiction treatment. Those who come from a mentally or physically abusive family may find their family's influence may only hinder their recovery. Any toxic relationship can impact sobriety, whether it's family, a friendship, or a romantic partner. Identifying these unhealthy relationships and family dynamics while capitalizing on healthy ones is crucial for long-term recovery success.
Family dynamics are the "patterns of interactions among relatives, their roles and relationships, and the various factors that shape their interactions." Under ideal circumstances, family members rely on one another for emotional and physical support. However, a family can also be the cause of significant stress. Unhealthy relationships can cause unnecessary hardship, which can cause problems with mental or physical health for anyone involved. Worse, for people in recovery, it can be a breaking point that leads to a relapse.
Family dynamics shape people's development and the way they see the world. Through their family, they learn observed patterns and behaviors, interpersonal communication, and what roles they can grow up to fulfill as adults. Unfortunately, some people are brought up amid unhealthy family dynamics. These observed unhealthy patterns or behaviors can affect their relationships, communication skills, and ability to have their own family. Additionally, unhealthy family dynamics can harm people's chances of recovery post-treatment, which is why identifying them is vital.
If someone is returning to their family home post-treatment, they may have to learn to recognize these unhealthy behaviors quickly. Many people can return to their homes and families post-treatment and focus on implementing what they learned in treatment to prevent unhealthy dynamics from being established within their own families.
In either case, individuals should learn to recognize unhealthy family dynamics signs.
An unhealthy or dysfunctional family typically lacks communication skills and the ability to maintain interpersonal relationships with family members. Every family's dynamics may look different, but in general, people can be on the lookout for the following:
People in recovery can deal with unhealthy family dynamics and avoid toxic individuals by:
While it may be hard to cut ties with family members despite toxicity, it is vital for long-term recovery. Fortunately, most people can change and grow. With healthy or improving family dynamics, family support is an invaluable recovery resource.
Positive relationships and healthy family dynamics require love, empathy, honesty, trust, and effective communication. When family dynamics are healthy and positive, individuals can exponentially broaden their support system. Family members can take up beneficial roles and behavior that help encourage and support their loved ones in recovery. Those roles may consist of caregiver duties, accountability partnering, driving a loved one to and from therapy, or attending support group meetings with them.
Family involvement can also be effective in the early stages of an individual's treatment journey. For example, many people struggle to accept their SUD. Families can host interventions to help their loved ones come to terms with their situation, seek treatment, and offer education and resources about addiction recovery.
Additionally, people often forget the toll addiction has on the family unit. Family members supporting a loved one through treatment and recovery need support as well. There are several resources available to families coping with SUD.
Aside from unhealthy family dynamics, individuals may have a healthy family but struggle to form deep connections with them. That's normal — everyone sometimes struggles to deal with their families. The people individuals are closest to are the ones that know how to get under their skin more than anyone else. However, they can also be the most formidable support system imaginable.
Consider implementing more family support into your recovery journey. Addiction is an isolating disease, and recovery can take a village. So take advantage of the support from your village today.
Though addiction is isolating in nature, it affects many other people in your life. That includes friends, co-workers, significant others, and family members. Addiction deeply impacts families, especially if you are a parent, spouse, or the sole breadwinner for your family. However, healthy family relationships can also be vital to treatment and a life of long-term sobriety. Family support can help you seek treatment and motivate you to maintain your recovery. Unfortunately, some family dynamics are unhealthy and can increase the risk of relapse. In those cases, family support can be detrimental to sobriety, but family counseling can help the whole family unit thrive. For more information on family support or counseling, call NorthStar Transitions at (303) 558-6400.
