Pervasive feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or anxiety can result from traumatic experiences—with long-lasting consequences. “The effects of unresolved trauma can be devastating,” wrote psychologist Peter Levine in Healing Trauma. “It can affect our habits and outlook on life, leading to addictions and poor decision-making.”
Trauma, depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions are known to be major drivers of addiction. “Trauma and addiction go hand-in-hand,” wrote Tian Dayton in Trauma and Addiction. “What starts out as an attempt to manage pain evolves into a new source of it…. The cycle of trauma and addiction is endless.”
What many experts and treatment programs overlook is the fact that the family members of a person with addiction also experience trauma—often for long periods. Trauma “can take a toll on our family life and interpersonal relationships. It can trigger real physical pain, symptoms, and disease. It can lead to a range of self-destructive behaviors,” Levine wrote.
“The effects of a substance use disorder (SUD) are felt by the whole family,” wrote Lander, Howsare, and Byrne in their 2013 study on the impact of addiction on families. “Each family and each family member is uniquely affected by the individual using substances… Thus, treating only the individual with the active disease of addiction is limited in effectiveness.”
Family members need to understand the complexities of addiction, their role in the recovery process, and the impact addiction has had on them. Many addiction treatment programs educate family members about the dangers of co-dependency and enabling behaviors but neglect the psychological impact on the family unit itself.
“Co-dependency is usually defined as a preoccupation with the identified patient,” explained Blanchard founder and CEO Ward Blanchard in a recent webinar. Enabling is behavior that allows the addicted person to keep misusing alcohol or drugs by bailing them out and covering for them so they don’t suffer negative consequences.
The treatment team at The Blanchard Institute avoids those terms. “Family members should be regarded as trauma survivors,” says Blanchard. “In reality, the preoccupation is a trauma bond and family members often display a hyper-focus typical for trauma. It’s our job to reset that.”
With an addicted family member, it’s “preoccupation and hyper-focus day in and day out,” Blanchard told the webinar. “Trauma doesn’t have to be with a capital T, it can also be death by a thousand cuts.”
ADDICTION IS CONTAGIOUS
The relentless stress brought on by the SUD of a loved one can lead to the same results—including addiction! Blanchard presented fMRIs of people with addiction and their traumatized family members and the images displayed the same pathological patterns.
“Under chronic stress, the frontal lobe shuts off and the limbic system activates. What does that sound like? Exactly like the identified patient,” said Blanchard. “Brain research shows that family members of addiction sufferers crave substances in the same way the identified patient does. Identified patients and family members go through a parallel process.”
STRENGTHENING THE FOUNDATIONS OF RECOVERY
At The Blanchard Institute, the client is the family system. Family members are encouraged to participate in developing individualized treatment plans, offering insights that might enhance the care provided. This collaboration ensures that the treatment strategies are comprehensive and consider all aspects of the patient’s life, including family relationships.
Engaged and informed family members can dramatically improve recovery outcomes. By applying the tools and strategies learned through our family program, families can enhance communication skills because open and honest communication can prevent misunderstandings and build a trusting relationship conducive to recovery. By actively participating in structured support and educational programs, families help solidify the recovery foundation, making it robust against potential challenges.
“Blanchard offers more than just a treatment experience,” says founder and CEO Ward Blanchard. “It’s a relationship. Patients are with us for several months and families are required to participate as much as the identified patient. With us, family involvement is more like family restructuring or realignment.”
Our admissions process is discrete, confidential, and non-invasive. Our mission is to provide support for everyone who reaches out to us. Call us at (704) 288-1097 —our experienced admissions specialists will guide you through the process and treat you with the dignity and compassion you deserve.