Addiction - a Family Disease
Chances are, you have had a family member, friend, co-worker, or acquaintance who has been impacted by the disease of addiction. One of the biggest misconceptions that exists, is that the problem within the family lies squarely on the person using, whether it’s drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex… After all, “That’s the person that needs to be fixed! Then all of this chaos will end!”
In reality, addiction affects the family as a whole – old or young, wives or husbands, parents and children, brothers and sisters, and the list goes on. It brings families to the end of the rope – physically, emotionally, and mentally. The chaos, mistrust, anxiety, and hopelessness, are all realities of the disease, and helping families to acknowledge their own recovery is essential to restoring the health of the entire family unit.
Remember, you didn’t cause it, you can’t cure it, and you can’t control it. What you can do is takes steps to get yourself healthy again. It might mean doing something different. Different can be uncomfortable, but If nothing changes, nothing changes. There are some amazing resources available to begin the process of healing for the family and for the addict. Reaching out for help is a difficult first step, but one that starts to break the cycle.
Our Family Weekend Workshop "Facing Addiction as a Family" is a great way to learn more about the disease of addiction, how it affects everyone, and what you can do moving forward.