Loving someone with a substance use disorder (SUD) is one of the most painful experiences a family can face. When you’re worried about a loved one who is struggling with addiction, you tend to focus on them at the expense of your own needs and well-being. Addiction is a family disease. You and the rest of your loved ones’ close support network have healing to do, too. Fortunately, there are support groups for families of addicts.
There are several types of groups, including Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, and SMART Recovery Family & Friends. Each has a slightly different focus, and many involve some form of family therapy. This guide will help you understand more about these groups, who they’re for, and how to find them.
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Al-Anon: Support for families of alcoholics
Al-Anon meetings are available online and in person, and are modeled on the 12-step program's peer-led design. They are a completely free resource for those who are close to people with an alcohol use disorder (AUD). These meetings are about sharing, active listening, and confidentiality. They are not about giving advice, and the tone is 100% non-judgmental. Alateen is a specific subgroup within the Al-Anon model and is for younger family members affected by a parent’s or caregiver’s drinking.
Nar-Anon: Support for families of those with drug addiction
Nar-Anon is the equivalent of Al-Anon for families affected by any type of drug addiction (not just alcohol). Like Al-Anon meetings, they are free and available online or in person. Al-Anon and Nar-Anon meetings both involve 12 steps, similar to AA or NA, but are focused on the healing path of the family rather than the person with the SUD. The steps include acceptance of having no power over your loved one’s addiction, personal spiritual growth, self-reflection, including the ability to detach and stop enabling behaviors, reparation for relationships damaged by dysfunction, and continued growth.
SMART Recovery Family & Friends
SMART Recovery for those with an SUD is the basis for SMART Recovery addiction support groups for family and friends. The acronym stands for self-management and recovery training, and the groups are science-based alternatives to 12-step programs. SMART was established using cognitive-behavioral and motivational tools to manage emotions, reduce enabling behavior, and build effective communication and healthy relationships. This is a great option for families and friends who prefer a non-spiritual approach to healing.
Why families of addicts need their own therapy support
Family, whether biological or chosen, is the first line of care and nurture when someone in the group has an addiction. But the blowback on loved ones can be profound, including financial challenges, emotional strain, and hypervigilance due to worry. Sometimes, there is even violence or other behaviors that threaten the safety of the family.
Codependency is also common in families affected by SUD. If this applies to you, you may find you are unconsciously enabling the addiction by covering up consequences, making excuses, or providing financial support that allows substance use to continue. This enabling behavior circumvents the natural consequences that can motivate change, though it comes from a place of love, perceived helpfulness, and often a desire to control chaos. Codependency also harms the support person, as it takes a major toll on their emotional health.
Support groups give families a safe space to share, learn, and heal alongside others who understand what this process is like. In a support group, you are likely to:
- Find a sense of belonging with others who also feel alone in their struggles
- Feel safe sharing your stories without fear of judgment
- Build healthy relationships within the group
- Learn from one another’s experiences and find valuable resources you can use moving forward
- Reclaim your sense of control over your own life and forge healthy boundaries between you and your struggling loved one
While support groups can help families feel less alone and provide great opportunities to cope, they’re not a substitute for therapy, crisis care, or addiction treatment. Both people with addiction and their loved ones should seek the right type of care to start healing.
Family therapy and support at Oak Grove Recovery, Westerville, OH
At Oak Grove, family therapy is a clinical complement to peer support groups. Your involvement in your loved one’s recovery process improves their outcomes. In addition to family therapy, seeking support for yourself and other family members can be a significant part of the whole family’s healing. Whether your loved one is in treatment yet or not, there is never a wrong time to seek support for yourself as you struggle to help your family member in helpful ways without compromising your health and well-being.
Oak Grove is in Westerville, OH, serving families in the Columbus area. We take private insurance as well as Ohio Medicaid, and are ready to answer your questions about support groups for families of addicts. Contact us today at 614.324.8137.
