Family Programs

Many chemically dependent people begin their journey into drug or alcohol abuse with the notion that they aren't harming anyone but themselves. They may justify using by telling themselves it's a personal choice and that it's no one else's business. The truth tells an entirely different story.

The fact is that the chemically dependent person IS hurting others by his/her behavior and choices, especially when it comes to family members. Alarming national statistics support this statement in grave detail:

More than half of all spouse and child abuse is directly tied to alcohol and drug abuse.
Alcohol and drug-addicted persons are seven times more likely to divorce.
More than 4 million women in this country, many of whom are mothers, abuse drugs.
More than half of all traffic fatalities are related to alcohol and other forms of drug abuse.
Non-alcoholic members of alcoholic families take considerably more sick leave than members of families in which alcoholism is not present.
Alcohol is implicated in 25 to 50 percent of cases of maltreatment of women, and in 20 percent of cases of maltreatment of children.
An estimated 6.6 million children under the age of 18 live in households with at least one alcoholic parent.

Sadly, even if the substance abuser is able to keep up appearances to the outside world, family life often becomes intolerable for his/her loved ones. Yet they may try to cover up what is really happening because it's just too painful to admit their family is being torn apart by something they cannot control.

Desperate for change, family members may try to control events involving the substance abuser or his/her behavior. They may hide or throw out alcohol or drugs. They may repeatedly scold the abuser or try to shame him/her into promising to never use again. They may call in sick for the chemically dependent person in their lives or lie to ensure the outside world doesn't find out the truth. Oftentimes, families become drawn into the substance abuser's sickness; they become co-dependent while trying desperately to make family life seem "normal."

Unfortunately, ignoring the problem or helping to cover things up isn't helping anyone. It certainly isn't helping children who may be living in the home. While they may seem oblivious to Daddy or Mommy's substance abuse, they are most certainly being affected … and not just temporarily.

If your family is being affected by drug or alcohol abuse, don't give up hope. It is statistically proven that when family, friends or co-workers come together to help the chemically dependent person face his/her addiction and realize the damage he/she is causing to loved ones, that person agrees to treatment more than 90 percent of the time.

At SLBTS Treatment Centers, we offer programs specifically designed to assist families in crisis as a result of substance abuse. While the substance abuser goes through an appropriate treatment program, family members are educated about the disease process of chemical dependency and how they have each been affected. They are given the life tools necessary to reconcile current issues facing their family. The family also receives counseling from our highly trained family counselors on a regular basis and can receive further family advisement beyond treatment.

Our Family Treatment Program is held each month in our corporate development home, taking advantage of the natural healing environment of the surrounding ocean.

To find out if you or a loved one may be chemically dependent, there are questions you need to ask yourself. Please visit our Self Assessment page.

If you need help, please don't put it off any longer. Contact us today.

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