Canaan, CT – Over one-third of all U.S. adults know a family member or close friend who is addicted to drugs or alcohol or has been in the past. Watching a loved one struggle with substance abuse oftentimes is a traumatic experience for the entire family, yet their needs tend to be overlooked. This October, Mountainside treatment center becomes the first alcohol and drug rehabilitation center to offer comprehensive Family Recovery Services. Now, family members of addicted individuals can participate in professional counseling and coaching programs to address how they have been personally impacted by their loved one’s illness.
“There is an overwhelming amount of anxiety and complex grief that family members struggle with when a loved one is addicted. However, many families are preoccupied with ensuring survival for their loved one instead of making time to heal themselves,” says Anthony Nave, Clinical Director at Mountainside. “Families are surprised when they ask how best to help their loved one and I tell them they can by starting their own parallel recovery.”
Almost always, caregivers concentrate so much energy on their loved one’s ups and downs, that they neglect their own well-being. Family members have a high rate of developing their own mental health issues including feelings of guilt, helplessness, anxiety, and depression. Mountainside’s Family Outpatient Services program is designed to equip families with the knowledge and tools needed to overcome the impact of alcoholism or drug addiction and regain control of their lives.
The intensive 10-week therapy program consists of group and individual counseling to cover a range of topics including healthy communication, trust, boundaries, self-care, and more to help individuals mend relationships, resolve conflicts, and move forward together as a family in a positive direction.
In addition, Mountainside offers Family Recovery Coaching for families who are looking for peer guidance to better understand the day-to-day realities of addiction and recovery, and how best to navigate them. Through daily communication, family recovery coaches teach family clients how to successfully address challenges as they arise, incorporate self-care into their lives, develop healthy relationships, and build a support system.
“Our Family Recovery Coaches redirect families’ natural tendencies to focus on helping a struggling loved one to helping themselves. We share our own experiences living with an addicted relative to empower our family clients with actionable skills to nurture their own mental health and wellness,” says Timothy Gulick, Family Recovery Coaching Manager at Mountainside.
Along with the two family recovery programs, Mountainside offers weekly in-person and virtual support groups open to anyone affected by a loved one’s alcoholism or addiction. Also available free of charge is a six-part family wellness workshop series that teaches attendees how substance abuse impacts the family system, how to cope with stress, and much more.
Mountainside’s new and more comprehensive Family Recovery Services comes during National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, a time to remember those who have lost their lives to the disease but also a time to spread awareness about addiction treatment so a greater number of people can get the help they need and find recovery.
To learn more about Mountainside’s latest Family Recovery Services and resources, please visit: https://mountainside.com/treatment/family-services/