Read the latest and greatest from our team
of incredible specialists.
Beach House Rehab Center » Blog » How Family Therapy Can Improve Communication Skills in Recovery
Poor family communications are a frequent contributing factor in addiction and relapse. A household including one or more people who abuse drugs or alcohol is typically saturated in untruthfulness, secrecy, out-of-control emotions and unhealthy conflict. A person who feels misunderstood and unappreciated, and especially a person who feels “unworthy” overall, is at greater risk for becoming addicted. If someone rarely hears a compliment, and can hardly express a feeling without having it belittled, he or she will decide, “I’m not worth talking to”—and may turn to drugs as an alternate means of relieving negative emotions.
This article will explore how addiction affects the family, how a family’s interpersonal communications can make recovery easier, and how family therapy can improve communication skills in recovery.
Once addiction takes hold, family communications worsen and alienation increases. While many addicts insist, “Even if it’s bad for me, it’s not hurting anyone else,” the facts tell a different story.
Since substance abuse affects the entire family, it makes sense for the entire family to join forces against it. Unfortunately, a typical reaction is for other family members to intensify their accustomed, frequently unhealthy coping methods, such as:
Most often, these only reinforce the addict’s belief that no one understands and self-medication is all that really helps—and so the whole problem gets worse.
Family members can better help a recovering addict, or encourage an addict to enter recovery, by communicating effectively with the person—and with each other. Ways to do this include:
However, it can take more than a “what-to-do” list to motivate a family member who is battle-fatigued and wondering, “Can I really trust him/her this time?” That’s where family therapy can help improve everyone’s communication skills to ensure lasting recovery.
A family that is ashamed of the addiction problem may want to believe that a simple detox will let family life get back to “normal.” Even if they understand what’s necessary for the addict’s recovery, they may want to handle everything themselves in the name of pride or expediency. This is not a good idea. However well-informed and well-meaning the family, they are too close to the problem to work with maximum effectiveness in every aspect of recovery.
Though therapy for the whole family may seem a time-consuming bother, it’s certain to be less trouble than the family has already put up with in trying to live with the addiction. Here are some communications-related advantages of working with a professional therapist (or a team of them):
Whatever the demographics and dynamics of a family, making everyone a part of recovery therapy—and emphasizing clear and respectful communication all around—is always advisable.
Sources
Nova Recovery Center. The Power of Family in Addiction Recovery. Accessed March 21, 2017.
Rower, Scott. “Communicating with a Loved One Who Is Addicted: Five Useful Skills.” SoberFamilies.com, June 6, 2014. Accessed March 21, 2017.
Rower, Scott. “Effective Communication Skills: How to Do It.” SoberFamilies.com, June 15, 2014. Accessed March 21, 2017.
"*" indicates required fields