Unique family focus

The importance and effectiveness of family focused treatments that address the negative impacts of alcohol or drug problems is now widely recognised.

Equipping family members with support, information, coping skills and strategies for effectively handling their situation and concerns regarding their loved one’s substance problems, is now a recommended part of many rehabilitation programs and viewed by alcohol and drug services as an essential part of treatment.

Involving a substance user’s loved ones or “significant others” in their therapy is not only beneficial for reducing stress and strengthening relationships, but can also be of benefit to the person with the alcohol or drug problem. Family members can often provide a catalyst for change where a person with an alcohol or drug problem previously did not acknowledge there was a problem.

A combination of new coping strategies in relating to the alcohol/drug user and an increased understanding of the dependency issues can have a “ripple” or “positive flow on” effect to the drinker/drug user.

Family support has long been the focus of the Holyoake service and in fact is the reason for its existence. Concern about the lack of help for families experiencing problems due to alcohol and drug use led to the establishmnent of the first Holyoake in Perth in 1975, as one of the first services to acknowledge the importance of family support in substance treatment.

The introduction of Holyoake services to the community addressed a huge gap in alcohol and drug services by giving families:

  • information to understand dependency

  • support to develop strategies to deal effectively with a substance user

  • counselling to learn new coping skills to create change

  • a structured education support group program

  • an environment which challenged the assumptions and stigma associated with alcohol and drug problems.

 

Holyoake’s unique focus on the family has proven so effective in overcoming alcohol and drug problems for a number of reasons.

Firstly, family members, partners and friends are often the first to contact alcohol and drug services and this could be for a number of different reasons:

They might want to know:

  • if there is a problem eg. “ What is alcohol / drug addiction or dependence?”

  • information on services for the person drinking or using drugs eg.“What drug and alcohol services are available?”

  • ways to get the person to admit they have a problem eg. “They don’t think they have a problem.  How can I get them to admit they have a problem?”

  • ways to get the person to seek help eg. “How can I get them to get help?”

Sometimes they are so overwhelmed by the stress and emotions of the situation that it is difficult to think about anything else, except the other person and finding an immediate fix for the current crisis.

Or, the person might be getting help, but there are unresolved issues which continue to cause distress.

Whatever the situation, these examples show that the family member, partner or friend:

  • believes there is a problem which needs a solution

  • has made the first contact with a service

  • wants things to change.

Holyoake's unique family drug and alcohol support service views these as very positive signs in the change process as they show that the family member is motivated.  Since motivation is an important part of therapy, providing assistance to the person actively seeking it makes good strategic sense and is a good place to start.

What this means for the family member or friend is that there is a constructive way forward rather than feeling a sense of hopelessness or powerlessness over the situation.