Family Program Importance in Mental Health Treatment
Research indicates that both mental health and co-occurring secondary substance abuse treatment that includes family support works better than treatment programs that do not. For the reasons that, family support increases engagement and retention in treatment, reduces the individual’s negative behavioral issues, and co-occuring drug and alcohol use. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, family support and related treatment improves both family and social functioning and discourage relapse [1].
The family has a central role to play in the treatment of any health problem, including mental health and co-occuring substance abuse problems. Each family is different, and the best way to approach family involvement with addiction therapy will differ with every person. A mental health patient who may also be an addict in recovery is putting in the effort to confront all aspects of their addiction. Family members need to learn the proper ways to lend support.
Addiction can be a major co-occurring force in people with mental health problems. Yet, people with mental health and underlying secondary co-occurring substance abuse problems require treatment for family systems too. Therefore, in integrated mental health and secondary co-occuring substance abuse treatment model based on family therapy can be instrumental in maintaining recovery. Both family functioning and individual functioning play important roles in the recovery change process. This is according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information [2].
What is a Family when it Comes to Mental Health Treatment?
There is no single definition of a family. The idea of family means an ongoing involvement on an emotional level. Family members may disperse around the world but still be connected emotionally and contribute to the dynamics of family functioning. While it may change according to circumstances, there is always a common denominator:
Traditional Families: It includes heterosexual couples (two parents and minor children all living under the same roof), single parents, and families including blood relatives, adoptive families, foster relationships, grandparents raising grandchildren, and stepfamilies.
Extended Families: Families that include grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and other relatives.
Elected Families: Families that are self‐identified and are joined by choice and not by the usual ties of blood, marriage, and law. For many people, the elected family is more important than the biological family. Examples include:
- Emancipated youth who choose to live among peers
- Godparents and other non‐biologically related people who have an emotional tie (examples are: invented relatives)
- Gay and lesbian couples or groups (and minor children all living under the same roof)
Family program in mental health treatment aims to prepare families for the common stumbling blocks connected with early recovery, and the tools to respond to the natural struggles that occur in sobriety.
Benefits of Family Program in Recovery
Family support is crucial for recovery. Family involvement has several benefits when it comes to recovering from addiction. The benefits of family support in recovery may include:
- Communication will be more effective.
- This will increase your loved one’s self-esteem.
- It will provide your loved one with healthy motivation.
- It will help resolve anger, stress, fear, or confusion caused by addiction.
- This will educate every participant on how addiction affects family members.
- Giving the family members the tools to recognize and avoid codependent or enabling behaviors.
- Enabling the family members and those in recovery with the emotional tools needed to navigate sobriety.
Family Support Program
Mental health illness and corrected co-occurring secondary illnesses like addiction are driven by behavioral issues that affect the whole family. The impact on family life can be very significant, beyond the loved one suffering from behavioral disorders. Therefore, when seeking treatment, the entire family also needs healing to learn how to support a loved one in both the patient’s and their family’s journey to recovery. Our family support program at We kevel Up FL primary mental health center provides the support and care that you and your family both need. This program can also help your loved ones know how to help you achieve your goals in recovery.
Our dedicated family specialists use client-approved sessions, online information, and advice via text or phone calls providing the support you deserve to succeed. In addition, we may offer intense family weekends teaching or events. We can help guide family members on how to engage without enabling or triggering their loved ones. Family weekend scheduling varies, is subject to change, and is dependent on multiple variables like COVID transmissibility to clients, staff, and other families. Please call to find out more.
You Deserve Help That Works at We Level Up FL Mental Health Center
You are not alone with our family support program. We can help achieve better recovery outcomes when families are involved. Even if a loved one has failed before and relapsed, or is in the midst of a crisis, we stand ready to help. Our friendly mental health behavioral specialists won’t give up on you. If you just can’t fit in, feel yourself, feel depressed, anxious, and stressed, and or have co-occuring addiction problems and can’t stop using, you know you need help now. If you can’t cope with daily life, you know you need help now.
Whenever you need someone to talk to about behavioral health treatment options to suit your situation, call us. Even if we can’t help you, we’ll guide you to where you can get help. There’s never any obligation. Call We Level Up FL; we are available 24/7.
Sources:
[1] [2] National Center for Biotechnology Information – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64269/