Family members of loved ones with addiction often carry long, deeply held resentments. One of the primary areas of contention is related to the feelings of discomfort which arise when drinking around the person in recovery. It can be frustrating for others to feel like every family event has to be alcohol free because of one family member but sometimes this is necessary to ensure the best recovery for the loved one. Communication is key in learning how to navigate addiction and recovery in a family.
Getting Past Resentment
Every situation will depend on many factors including whether the family is able to have open and honest discussion with the person in recovery. Any unspoken problem will destroy healthy family dynamics. Many families struggle with communication and find sweeping things under the rug is much easier than problem-solving and learning how to communicate effectively. This may even be one of the underlying layers to the person with addiction’s experience at home which lent itself to addiction in the first place.
Communication Matters
Discussions centered on one person’s experience with addiction may be quite effective in addressing current or past family conflict and brings everyone closer. Most people deal with fundamental problems only when crisis hits. Addiction is so powerful it impacts everyone and is a big reason people come together and honestly look at what brought a person to become addicted and resolve underlying issues. Recovery is, in fact, sustained by trying a number of different interpersonal activities, including:
- Daily examination of a person’s environment
- Identifying and removing triggers
- Addressing personal faults
- Pursuing meaningful goals
- Actively seeking positive people who can support a drug-free lifestyle
A person with addiction in recovery has to work through challenging feelings to examine one’s personal life. Taking an intentional approach can be of great help in the family therapeutic process. Alcohol can become an open door to discuss honestly the things that have greatly impacted a family. Feelings of jealousy can build over time which breeds resentment. Recovery is about uncovering the layers to find what is going to work best for everyone moving forward, which should include communication dynamics which eventually build a stronger foundation from which to move forward.
Cypress Lakes Lodge believes family dynamics are important to individuals in recovery. If a family is struggling to communicate, it can make recovery even harder for the person with addiction as well as the other loved ones. We will help you navigate your recovery with some resources and tools for the journey. Call us today at 1-877-938-1577.