The person with an addiction to alcohol has plenty of support to help them get through the tough times that lay ahead in their recovery. But, they’re not the only ones experiencing hard times and frustrations. The family members of the alcoholic are facing an uphill battle as well. They’re hurting and they’re struggling with watching their family member hurt themselves through the addiction. Is there any help for them? Are there support groups that family members of alcoholics can join?
Most treatment centers would shout out a resounding yes to answer both of those questions. Family members of an alcoholic are an important part of the recovery process. But, they need to be in good mental shape and on their game to be any good to their loved one. Support is necessary to help them understand what happened to the person they care about and why treatment is necessary to beat their addiction. It can also help them realize that they are not to blame for the addiction that struck their family member. When the family receives the support they need, they’re better equipped to help their loved one beat the alcoholic addiction and keep it from coming back.
What Kind of Support Group Can a Family Member of an Alcoholic Join?
There are many support groups available for family members that deal with the relationship they have with the alcoholic. For example, spouses seek support from other spouses to share experiences with the addiction that their husband or wife has and what it did to their relationship. They offer advice or they simply lend an ear to just listen to someone who needs it. Finding others going through the same problem offers an entire world of comfort for a spouse who’s hurting.
Siblings of the alcoholic also have support groups available to them. They can vent their frustrations and share their innermost thoughts about their addicted sibling. Often, they come to these groups with bottled up anger towards their family member. Peers in the group will help them work through their anger and aid them in moving towards some level of forgiveness.
Is There Support for Parents of Alcoholic Children?
Parents are not left out for family support of an addicted child. There are plenty of support groups that welcome parents of any aged child. It doesn’t matter if their child is a teen or an adult with an alcoholic addiction. There is a group that caters to all the needs a parent has when trying to deal with the addiction that has taken control of their son or daughter.
Besides support groups, there are other resources available for parents to use to help cope with their situation. In some cases, a parent may have more than the addiction to contend with. They may have to handle unexpected legal issues or financial problems of the addicted child. Whatever the case, parents will get the help they need to get through it. Most treatment centers will make sure they’re armed with all the knowledge necessary to handle the toughest parts of their child’s recovery. They will also learn the best tactics for keeping the addiction away from their son or daughter.
What About Support for the Children With Parents Who Have an Alcoholic Addiction?
It’s disheartening to know there are many children out there who have alcoholic parents. Getting them support is extremely important when the child is young since they often will blame themselves and believe they did something wrong to cause it. To avoid self-esteem issues and severe depression, treatment centers are careful about making sure they’re taken care of mentally.
For adult children of alcoholic parents, support groups are usually on hand to help them deal with the after-effects of the addiction. They are just as likely to be hurting as anyone else, so meeting with a group of people in the same shoes as them will help them handle the situation better. Other benefits from this kind of support group are:
- Meeting others who know what they’re going through
- Finding friends that are more likely to welcome venting sessions
- Feeling understood by others who went through it themselves
Family members of all types have a line of support to give them the necessary mental strength for helping their loved one beat the addiction. The treatment center, offering the alcoholic addiction program, usually will have a support group available to meet the needs the family requires. Check and see what they offer and if it will help you in your situation. If you need more information about support groups for family members or just want to join one, call us at 844-639-8371. We’ll be glad to help you.