Family members and friends of alcoholics and addicts often desperately search for help and answers to their problems.

I worked as a family therapist at a private neuro-psychiatric hospital with the significant others of alcoholics, addicts, compulsive gamblers, and dual diagnosis patients.Like most treatment centers and rehabs, participation in our family program was mandatory for visitation.

Each Saturday, I presented an eight-hour educational workshop covering the disease process of addiction, enabling and detachment, family roles, what to expect in early recovery, and the family afterwards which reviewed available community recovery resources, both professional and Twelve Step meetings.

A common misconception among my patients was the belief that since their significant was in treatment, their problems were finally solved. It also gave them a false sense of relief.

It was stressed getting clean and sober, and staying that way, is the biggest challenge most alcoholics and addicts face in their lifetime and while detox, treatment, or rehab can play an important part in the process, no one was guaranteed continued recovery when they were discharged.

Ala-Non says:

Alcoholism is a family disease. The disease affects all those who have a relationship with a problem drinker. Those of us closest to the alcoholic suffer the most, and those who care the most can easily get caught up in the behavior of another person. We react to the alcoholic’s behavior. We focus on them, what they do, where they are, how much they drink. We try to control their drinking for them. We take on the blame, guilt, and shame that really belong to the drinker. We can become as addicted to the alcoholic, as the alcoholic is to alcohol. We, too, can become ill.”

At Ala-Non, you will:

“…meet others who share your feelings and frustrations, if not your exact situation. We come together to learn a better way of life, to find happiness whether the alcoholic is still drinking or not.”

Twelve 12-Step recovery programs for the family members of alcoholics and addicts:

1. Alanon Family Groups for friends and family members of alcoholics
2. Alateen for teens of alcoholics
3. Nar-Anon Family Group for relatives and friends who are concerned about the addiction or drug problem of another
4. COSLAA for the recovery of family, friends, and significant others whose lives have been affected by their relationship with someone addicted to sex and love
5. COSA for men and women whose lives have been affected by another person’s compulsive sexual behavior
6. Teen Anon for teens who drink or drug and all those who love them
7. Families Anonymous adults whose lives have been affected by a loved one’s drinking or drugging
8. Co-Dependents Anonymous for men and women whose common purpose is to develop healthy relationships
9. S-Anon for those who have been affected by another’s sexual behavior
10. Gam-Anon for the spouse, family or close friends of compulsive gamblers
11. Gam-A-Teen for children of compulsive gamblers
12. Adult Children of Alcoholics for women and men who grew up in alcoholic or otherwise dysfunctional homes

Recovery Rocks!

Roxie

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