Getting the right help for the individual is essential to successfully treating addiction. Getting help for the family of the individual is also very important, and it is something that shouldn’t be overlooked. Everyone in a family suffers when a member has an addiction to substances. Help is out there, and below are some resources designed to treat the family members of addicts.

Spouses of Addicts

Oftentimes, spouses understand more than anybody about how an addict is suffering. Whether the couple had a healthy relationship before the addiction took over or not, the other adult in the household can see what both the addict and the family are sacrificing because of the addiction.
Al-Anon holds regular meetings throughout the country to encourage families of alcoholics to focus on their own peace of mind and strength. Nar-Anon, like Al-Anon, focuses on the Twelve Steps to healing for family members. Nar-Anon helps families of individuals addicted to narcotics, and it also holds free meetings throughout the country.

Co-Dependents Anonymous is another support group for spouses. Because of the stress that addiction can put on a couple, often the spouse of an addict develops an unhealthy co-dependence in an attempt to hold it all together. Co-Dependents Anonymous helps individuals to free themselves from destructive behavior and if possible live their lives with their spouse, but not dependent on them.

Parents of Addicts

Adolescents addicted to drugs pose a difficult problem. Being so young, it is important that the child and their family get help for the addiction right away so the teen can look forward to a life free from this suffering. Adolescents are usually still living in their parents’ homes and under their rules, so it is especially important for parents to be informed about the methods of treatment and ways to help their child when they are back home.

The Phoenix House is a New England-based coalition of professionals that work together to provide treatment for young addicts as well as counseling for the entire family. Parental involvement is key to these programs and education, activities, and therapy are provided for entire families.

Inspirations for Youth and Family is another organization that treats adolescents for drug and alcohol abuse. Families are also provided with therapy and activities that work toward the goal of reuniting the family.

Children of Addicts

Not to be overlooked, children in a family with addiction also suffer and should receive treatment. The Center on Addiction and the Family (COAF) offers a wide range of programs that help the whole family deal with addiction, some specifically geared toward children. Alateen offers meetings for teens of alcoholics, much like Al-Anon. Even though they might not have a very large voice when it comes to addiction in the family, children are very much in need of counseling or treatment as they suffer with a loved-one’s addiction.

Families have many options to getting treatment as they deal with an addict among them. It is important to reach out for help from professionals in order to free themselves from the addiction.

More Resources
http://www.treatmentsolutionsnetwork.com/families-addiction-treatment.html

drug addiction support groups

• Narcotics Anonymous (N.A.)
• Cocaine Anonymous (C.A.)
• Crystla Meth Anonymous (C.M.A.)
• Marijuana Anonymous (MA)

other addiction support resources

• Find an AA Meeting Near You
• AA Meetings Online
• Gamblers Anonymous (GA)
• Find an MA Meeting Near You
• Find an NA Meeting Near You
• Nicotine Anonymous
• Overeaters Anonymous (OA)

Families of drug or alcohol abusers go through a lot of painful feelings as they struggle with their loved ones’ addiction. Sometimes these family members are overlooked as help is being offered to the person with the drug or alcohol problem. New initiatives have been formed in recent years that focus on a family approach to addiction treatment, and it has proven to be a benefit to not only the addict, but also to his or her family as well. Support groups have also been organized that help family and friends deal with those with addictions.

Support for Spouses of Addicts

It has been said that alcoholism is a family disease, affecting the entire family. Perhaps spouses are the first to notice a problem with addiction, and their lives may change the most. A once-loving spouse and parent to their kids becomes withdrawn, depressed, unreliable, and hard to spend time with. It is very painful to watch someone you love wreck themselves over substances.

Support for Parents of Addicts

Parents go through much pain also as they watch a child struggle with addiction. Feelings of helplessness, failure, and embarrassment are common in these situations, and often parents question where they went wrong and don’t know how to fix it.

Support for Children of Addicts

Children, however, may often suffer the most. To not have the parent around to care for them properly or to spend time with them takes its toll on children. Abuse and neglect commonly go along with parents that do drugs or are alcoholics, and these kids suffer greatly. It is common for these kids to go on to abuse substances themselves one day.

Al-Anon

Because addiction has such a strong effect on the family of an addict, it is important for families to receive support themselves. Al-Anon and Alateen (for younger family members) offer help and hope to addicts’ families. Al-Anon holds regular meetings throughout the country for family members to share their experiences, learn from other people’s stories, and be encouraged to find their own strength and happiness.

Family Addiction Therapy

Many drug and alcohol treatment facilities also offer help to families and encourage family therapy. This offers benefits to family members, and it may improve treatment for the addict. Often, families can provide support and resources to help the addict live without the substance. Sometimes the family is even motivation for an abuser to succeed in treatment, such as a mother who works extra hard to overcome addiction in order to be with her children again.

For those family members suffering in silence while a loved-one abuses drugs or alcohol, there is help out there for both the addict and the family. It is important to encourage the addict to get treatment and counseling to overcome the addiction. It is also important for the family to seek counseling or treatment in order to move on with their lives. And even if the drug addict or alcoholic won’t free themselves from the substance, their family members can and should get help so they aren’t left suffering alone with the problem.

Sources
http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/english.html

Holland, Ryan Substance abuse cuts wide, deep November 16, 2008

Addiction Treatment Should Include Family Therapy

How stressed is your teen? What are the consequences of stress on adolescents? What can be done to relieve teens’ stress? A new study released this month by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America indicates that stress may be more of a concern than most parents think. The study, reported August 4, 2008, reveals that 73 percent of teens say that school stress is the primary reason for drug use. This study also showed that “parents severely underestimate the impact of stress on their teens’ decision to use drugs. Only 7 percent of parents believe that teens might use drugs to cope with stress.”

Causes of Teen Stress

It used to be that teens did drugs to feel cool, or to go along with peer pressure, or to have fun. But these days, teens are often so overwhelmed by school and daily pressures that they feel they are led to use drugs just to cope.

While the pressures of performing well in school and getting into a good college weigh heavily on many teens’ minds, there are many stresses young people face during their teen years. The basic changes that their bodies go through at this age can lead to biological stress. The rapid way teens develop at this stage in their lives can be a source of worry and concern to them. Added to this is lack of sleep because of school, social life, family life, and work.

Family stress is another cause of pressure for adolescents. As teens struggle to become adults and independent from their parents, arguments and harsh words often take place. Almost every parent has experienced the all-knowing, angry attitude of a teenager, who is disgusted by their parents’ rules for them. These problems are often exemplified when parents are divorced, leaving the teen confused about where they belong in the family.

Social stress can also be overwhelming during the teen years. Dating and breakups, struggle for popularity at school, and teasing and bullying can put a lot of pressure on teens.

What can you do to help your adolescent through stress?

One of the most important things for parents to do is to be aware of the stress their children are under, and also the risks their teens face because of the stress. Moodiness, lethargy, forgetfulness, isolation, antisocial behavior, lying, difficulty concentrating, lack of sleep, headaches and stomach aches can all be signs of stress.

If your teen seems stressed, as a parent you can help them reduce the stress, and also help them cope with the stress. Are the worries your teen faces real? Talk to them, and hear their fears, being careful not to minimize their concerns, but rather to work through them. Parents should also model healthy stress management at home. If teens realize they are not alone, and that everyone experiences some sort of stress, teens can learn their own positive ways to cope, rather than turning to things like drugs. And if the teen is unable to function in everyday life, or turning to destructive behavior, parents should consult a professional for help.

Study: Stress is leading cause of teen drug use The Toledo Journal NAPSI 8/12/2008

Adolescent Stress Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P.
Dr. Spock.com

Adolescent Stress, Stressors, and Coping Stephanie K. Ferguson
Adolescence Site

Stress in Adolescents Healthopedia.com

News release Partnership for a Drug-Free America August 4, 2008
http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/About/NewsReleases/School_Pressure

It is a problem that has been around for decades. Adolescents feel stress from personal or family problems, high expectations at school, and peer pressure. One way teens deal with the pressure is to turn to drugs. In the past it was marijuana, LSD, heroin or cocaine that lead curious teens to try drugs. There are countless stories of teens who have suffered severe consequences because of abuse of drugs such as these. Brain damage, seizures, toxicity, and death are only some of the side effects of drug abuse.

With all the anti-drug campaigns in communities today, it seems that teens may be getting the point about the dangers of some of these “street drugs” and are actually turning away from them in some cases.

Prescription Drugs

Today, however there are many more drugs available to teens, and different drugs of choice are making their way into schools and homes. Prescription painkillers like oxycodone and Vicodin® have been used more and more by adolescents in recent years. Many teens today believe there is nothing wrong with prescription drugs when taken once and while for fun, yet statistics show that oxycodone and Vicodin® are the most common drugs involved in fatal overdoses by young people.

The risk with these drugs is that young people do not believe they are dangerous or illegal because they are prescribed by a doctor. Another danger with these prescription drugs is that teens are able to get them for a very low cost or even free from friends or relatives. The easy accessibility of these drugs leads to a higher number of teens getting their hands on them, simply stealing the pills from their parents’ medicine cabinet.

Drugs such as oxycodone and Vicodin®, when used under the supervision of a physician, can be very beneficial to patients. On the other hand, the abuse of these drugs can cause strokes, seizures, comas, addiction, and even death. These prescription drugs can be just as addictive as street drugs, and the effects can be serious on the bodies and minds of young, developing teens.

Prevention

Even though the problem seems staggering, there are ways for parents to help prevent the misuse of drugs in their homes. Parents need to keep track of their prescription drugs, and be aware that their children may be able to get drugs from family members or friends very easily. Parents should talk with their children about the use of medication, and alert them to the severity of abusing prescription drugs.

While it seems that many anti-drug campaigns have been beneficial in the past, funding is becoming an issue when it comes to teen drug prevention. Every year, Congress gives money to states for drug treatment prevention, allowing the states to divide up the money among some of the programs they wish. A recent trend shows many states often spend very little of the money on adolescent drug prevention. With the new problem of prescription drug abuse in teens, it seems it is important that organizations that educate teens on prevention and treat teen addicts would receive funding to continue to fight this national problem.

Sources

More Kids Dying, New York Times July 18, 2008

Heroin’s Hold on the Young, New York Times Jan. 13, 2008

OxyContin, Vicodin Grow Popular as Teen Drug Use of Choice, Think and Ask nonprofit news February 2007

Teens Turn Away from Street Drugs, Move to Prescription Drugs, New Report Reveals ONDCP Press Release February 14, 2007

Rx—A New Intentional High for Teens National Youth Anti Drug Media Campaign, Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse 2006