News / Education
C.A.R.E. Florida Announces First 2010 Family Weekend
The Center for Disease Control estimates that 50 percent of US adults are current regular drinkers, having 12 drinks or more in a year and the National Institutes of Health states that there are over 17.6 million alcoholics in the US. Many factors, including family, can influence alcoholism, and a recovering alcoholic’s chance at survival. Family Weekends are designed to provide addicts and their families a chance to bond, adjust, and cope with life in and outside of rehab. The first 2010 Family Weekend will begin January 28, 2010.
Dr. Mitch Wallick, states “While the addicts themselves emerge from treatment equipped with tools to overcome their addictions, many family members are still conditioned to addictive behaviors. For many addicts, the outside world hasn’t changed since they entered into a drug or alcohol rehab program, and conditioning family members to accept and support the changes in the addict and their lives is central to a former addict’s success.”
The first 2010 Family Weekend will offer many chances for family members to bond, ask questions, and discover how to help their loved one, and C.A.R.E. Florida therapists are on hand to offer advice and tips for how to best help the recovering addict such as:
The addict is responsible for their recovery. Your role as a family member is to guide and support an addict during the addiction recovery process, but ultimately, family members cannot control the post-treatment recovery.
Support, but don’t suffocate. Addiction recovery is the responsibility of the addict. Their busy schedule of meetings, therapy appointments, work, and everyday life occurrences may cause the addict to seem overwhelmed, never home, or remote. Show support and trust, but don’t overwhelm your family member with questions and cause them to feel as if they are being suffocated or not trusted.
Be normal. Your life should continue as it did before your family member returned. Don’t walk on eggshells around them, and treat them as you would any other family member. It is the addict’s responsibility to take care of themselves, and making dramatic changes to your lifestyle may cause your family member to feel guilty, or like an outcast.
Be aware of your emotions. Alcohol or Drug Addiction affects family members just as it affects friends and other significant people in an addict’s life. Allow yourself, and your family members, to express their emotions. Many family members of recovering addicts benefit from going to meetings such as Al-Anon, Al-Ateen, Narconon, etc. Make it a priority to deal with your feelings about your family member’s addiction accordingly and in a healthy manner.
C.A.R.E Florida offers Family Weekends four times a year, and encourages family members of current and past patients to attend and take part in the intensive therapeutic and educational activities.
If you are someone you love could benefit from treatment please visit www.careflorida.com. For press inquiries please use the contact form at www.careflorida.com and you will be responded to immediately.
