Dealing with a Family Member’s Addiction in Savannah, GA

Recovery Center Offering Family Member Addiction Support

When it comes to helping your loved ones overcome their drug or alcohol addiction, it’s essential to have a compassionate and dedicated team of professionals on your side. The Recovery Place in Savannah, GA is a comfortable and welcoming addiction treatment center with a team of more than 45 licensed and credentialed clinicians you can count on to help you get the addiction treatment services you and your family deserve. With more than 30 years of experience, we’re fully equipped to help you and your family cope with a loved one’s addiction.

We offer both in-person and virtual care recovery services. Individuals can use their smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop computer, or any device with an internet connection and camera to participate in treatment services from anywhere. Call us today to learn more or schedule a tour!

Does Your Family Member Have an Addiction?

At Recovery Place, we understand how difficult it is to have a family member who's struggling with addiction. Not only does it affect their life, but it often affects everyone's life around them. You might be wondering how you can tell if your loved one’s substance use is an addiction. Some questions you can ask yourself regarding the behavioral and emotional signs of substance abuse include:

• Do they try to cut back or stop using but can’t?
• Do they use more of a substance than they intend to?
• Do they spend a lot of time looking for a substance, using it, and recovering from using it?
• Do they use a substance in risky situations, such as driving?
• Do they continue taking the substance, despite knowing the consequences?
• Are they unable to take care of their responsibilities at home, school, or work?
• Do they give up important events or activities to use substances?
• Do they show physical signs of abuse, such as taking more of the drug to get high or craving it?

Having at least two of these signs in the past 12 months could indicate a person has a substance use disorder. It's never too late to help your loved ones get the help they need, and Recovery Place provides individualized programs for all types of addictions.

Substance abuse and addiction can be damaging to family dynamics in several ways, including broken trust and poor communication. Family members who experience a loved one battling with a substance use disorder often endure emotional hardships, including hopelessness, guilt, and grief. However, family members can play a central role in helping their loved ones achieve and maintain sobriety.

Choosing Substance Use Over Family

A substance use disorder is a pattern of behavior that’s characterized by the compulsive use of a substance despite having negative consequences from using. It can feel as though your loved one chooses drugs over everything important in their life, including work and their children. A person with an addiction may love their family but feel they’re unable to control their substance use.

Family members might be enabling their loved one’s addiction without even realizing it. Helping without enabling is possible and beneficial for your loved one’s path to sobriety. You can do things for a family member, such as encouraging, listening, or offering to help them find a treatment program. Some common signs of enabling include:

• Ignoring their unacceptable behavior
• Constantly putting aside your needs for theirs
• Blaming others rather than the person with the addiction
• Not confronting them due to fear  
• Lying to cover for their mistakes
• Taking on responsibilities for them

Finding Treatment for Substance Use Addiction

Choosing a treatment program can seem overwhelming at first because there are so many options and individualized care plans available. There are many factors to consider when helping your family member find the right treatment program for them, some of which include:

• Is the treatment program using evidence-based treatment, such as motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioral therapy?
• Does the program offer an individualized approach to care?
• Does the program change as the person’s needs change?
• Is the treatment program long enough? Research indicates most people need at least three months of treatment.
• How does the program use 12-step programs? Introducing 12-step programs as a part of the treatment plan can link people to an additional source of community support to help maintain their sobriety.

What to Expect After Treatment  

Treatment programs for alcohol and drug addiction are just the first phase of recovery. An individual in recovery will often participate in 12-step programs, as well as family support groups, to help them strengthen their family relationships and continue long-term recovery.

Seek Quality Addiction Treatment Today

For premier substance abuse and mental health services in Savannah, GA, we hope you’ll choose Recovery Place. In addition to providing family support services, we offer mental health online services, virtual addiction treatment and recovery support, alcoholism treatment, and much more. We take all insurance, with the exception of Medicare. Together, we can help your family member on the road to a healthier and happier life. Contact us today to schedule a tour and take the first step toward a new and healthy life!