Family programming is an activity that supports loved ones of those in rehab. It brings everyone together and offers them a bigger picture of what life can look like when they work together for the benefit of the person in rehab. Addiction impacts the entire family, so including them is crucial to the process. To help families better understand addiction, recovery, and family dynamics, family programming provides space to be educated, heal, and journey together in recovery.
How it Works
Family programming includes individual and group counseling, family therapy, and educational seminars designed to help families heal together. The four pillars of family programming might include:
- Connection: the loved one will pull away while addicted and isolate themselves. It is important to set safe boundaries, but also check in to see what is going on. It means learning to stay connected to them in a safe way and figure out what they need to be successful in rehab
- Healing: families struggle to understand how addiction happens so they blame themselves. Everyone may be angry, but parents do not have to shoulder all the shame and blame. The loved one may feel shame for not being able to beat the disease. Part of healing is to find humility and learn to understand the disease, stigma, guilt, and shame cycle that can occur. People in rehab need a family to know the shame they’ve carried, while the loved one may not recognize the pain caused to the family by their actions
- Education: learning about addiction is key to helping a loved one through the challenges. Often, if the person is struggling, they don’t understand or acknowledge the true disease of addiction. When families and support systems are involved and understand addiction as a disease, it allows people to stop focusing on blaming themselves and focus on long-term recovery
- Hope: anger and anxiety can all play a role in a person’s journey of recovery. The disease wants a person to release hope, but recovery mentally is important. Keeping a family intact is challenging through addiction, but the hope is one way to do it. As a family member or person with addiction, it may be scary to go into rehab and ask for help, but the hope is there for all who seek it and try to heal from addiction
Getting Started
When family comes in for programming with their loved one in rehab, they need to set boundaries and learn how to communicate with them. As they begin the healing journey, they look at the family system and see where they can learn how to navigate it better with a focus on their interpersonal lives and journey. The brain plays a role in addiction, as well, which requires support. Mental health and recovery go hand-in-hand. The journey to recovery is key to healing for the long haul, not just in the moment.
Oceanfront is located in Laguna Beach. There is opportunity for the family to connect with the loved one and learn more about addiction and recovery. It is important to learn how to navigate recovery with family so everyone can heal together. If you are struggling, or have a loved one struggling, we are here to help. Call us to find out how we can help you navigate addiction recovery: 888-981-4295
