Support For Families Of People With An Opioid Addiction

Support For Families Of People With Opioid Use Disorder

If you are a family member supporting a loved one with an opioid addiction, you have most likely spent a lot of time and energy helping them in their journey. It is paramount that you also utilize resources to support your own emotional and mental well-being during this difficult time.

Opioid addiction is a chronic disease that affects millions of Americans and their families. If your loved one is struggling with an opioid addiction, as their family member, you can also be affected as you watch them grapple with addiction.

You may feel isolated, scared, and even in danger in your own home as your loved one becomes unrecognizable. You may be unknowingly enabling your loved one, even if you are trying to help, or developing an unhealthy codependent bond with your loved one.

You may be pouring all of yourself into caring for your loved one and, as a result, are no longer fulfilling your responsibilities, which can have repercussions in your personal and professional life.

Taking care of your loved one in the throes of their opioid addiction often requires putting yourself first by joining a support group and engaging in recovery communities that are geared towards helping family members.

Resources For Families Affected By Opioid Addiction

You may play an important role in your loved one’s opioid addiction treatment, but you have to be healthy to help others. You can benefit from seeking treatment that supports your own well-being and mental health. The following resources can help support and benefit your mental and emotional needs while providing you with tools and information to help support your loved one struggling with an opioid addiction.

Nar-Anon

Narcotics Anonymous is a worldwide support group for friends and families of addicts, based on the 12-step addiction model. You can attend meetings in person or virtually, where you can share your experience and struggles in a safe, confidential space with individuals who listen and support you.

By attending support group meetings, you will learn about the disease of addiction, as well as learn to implement an honest and consistent approach, as well as firm boundaries with your loved one. Although they are not affiliated with a religious organization, Narcotics Anonymous is based on spirituality, and they do talk about a higher power, God, and read the Serenity Prayer during meetings.

SMART Recovery Family And Friends

SMART Recovery™ Friends & Family is a science-based, secular alternative to Nar-Anon and other 12-step-based programs. Their method is based on the tools of SMART Recovery™ (Self-Management and Recovery Training) and CRAFT (Community Reinforcement Approach & Family Training).

CRAFT aims to teach you self-protection and non-confrontational skills to help your addicted loved one find recovery. SMART Recovery™ Friends & Family differs from 12-step programs, such as Nar-Anon, because it follows a 4-point program. Each program provides plenty of education, communication, and coping tools.

Families Anonymous

Families Anonymous is a 12-step program for family members of loved ones struggling with addiction. It is based on anonymity, meaning your identity will never be divulged. You can attend meetings, seek help and support, and leave without anyone asking questions. It is secular, does not incorporate a higher power or the Serenity Prayer, and is not affiliated with other organizations.

Grief Recovery After Substance Passing (GRASP)

GRASP meetings are peer-led community meetings where you can share your stories and experience if you have lost a loved one to an overdose. It allows you to work through grief with people who also share this overwhelming experience. You can share your experience and feelings while listening to others who are also in the throes of their grief or working through it.

Learn To Cope

Learn to Cope is a peer-led support group that offers support to family members and loved ones who have loved ones affected by addiction. They have dedicated staff members trained in addiction who facilitate the meetings, as well as community volunteers. They provide guest speakers, community support, addiction education, and resources, as well as overdose education and Narcan training in case of an opioid overdose.

Narcan Training

Narcan is a life-saving medication that can be administered to someone who is suspected of experiencing an opioid overdose. If your loved one is struggling with an opioid addiction, it can be wise to always carry Narcan and know how to administer it.

It is safe and easy to administer and does not create any harm to your loved one, but it can save their life from a deadly opioid overdose. There are community Narcan trainings available that can teach you about Narcan and how to administer it. The following offer Narcan trainings:

• American Red Cross: Offers online courses
• Overdose Lifeline: Provides online and in-person training
• NARCAN® Website: Offers videos and resources
• Local Health Departments and Nonprofits

Online Support Groups

Online support groups are an accessible way for you to connect with a community of people who are experiencing the pain of addiction with their loved one. There are support groups for family members of addicted loved ones who cannot make in-person meetings due to scheduling issues, transportation issues, live in rural or underserved areas, are seeking privacy and anonymity, or are anxious to attend in-person meetings.

Many in-person support groups, such as Nar Anon, also offer virtual meetings.

How Do I Choose A Support Group?

Consider the following when choosing a support group:

• How often does the group meet?
• Is it in person, virtual, or both?
• What is the structure of this support group?
• Are there programs for other relatives? (e.g., siblings, children, etc.)
• Does the group include spiritual or health-based coping mechanisms?
• How long does each meeting last?
• Are members able to connect with privacy and anonymity?
• Do they offer guest speakers, education, resources, and training, or is it peer-led, supported only by the community?
• Do they require you to share at each meeting, or can you listen to others and share when you are ready?

It can be a good idea to attend a few meetings before you decide to commit to one, or go to a few different support groups to compare them. After each meeting, take some time to evaluate your experience and your feelings by asking yourself the following questions:

• How inviting was the atmosphere?
• Did conversations resonate with you?
• Did people seem authentic in their stories and in their sharing?
• Does it feel like a place where you will feel safe sharing?
• Were other members welcoming?
• Did you feel safe and supported?
• Did you learn something new?

What Should I Expect In A Family Support Group?

In a support group, you will sit in a room and listen to others share about their experiences and struggles of their family member’s substance abuse. Groups can be held in offices, hospital rooms, online, or in a building shared by community members. Family members may reveal difficult stories and memories of seeing family members under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

You may be encouraged to introduce yourself at the beginning of the meeting when the leader asks if anyone is new, but you are not required to do so. You introduce yourself by raising your hand, stating your name, and sharing an optional brief introduction, which allows others the opportunity to approach you after the meeting for additional support.

There is usually time for announcements, donations, and the Serenity Prayer (if it is 12-step facilitated), followed by a guest speaker, and then members in attendance are free to share their stories or experiences with the group. Sharing is always optional.

Sharing your experiences or listening to others who are sharing can provide empowering benefits such as the following:

• Healthy coping strategies
• Learning how to set boundaries
• Self-care
• Emotional support
• Valuable resources and information about addiction

How Does Opioid Addiction Impact The Family?

Addiction is often referred to as a family disease because one member’s addiction ultimately affects the entire family. Addiction can result in abuse in the home, divorce, and the involvement of child protective services. You may want to support your loved one and encourage them to seek treatment, but you may also be dealing with betrayal, fear, anger, and confusion because you no longer recognize your loved one due to what opioids have done to them.

When family members attend support groups, it can positively impact the entire family unit. It can be highly beneficial in helping a family heal from the dysfunction that addiction causes.

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How Do I Support Someone Who Has An Opioid Addiction?

Recovery from an opioid addiction is a lifelong journey, and helping your loved one walk the path of recovery can be challenging, overwhelming, and rewarding. Ways you can support your loved one through their opioid addiction include:

• Learn about opioid use disorder: the more informed you are about the disease of addiction and how opioids work in the body, the better you can understand and support your loved one.
• Remember that addiction is not a choice but a disease.
• Stay positive and celebrate the small wins.
• Always encourage treatment.
• Seek help for yourself by attending support groups.
• Learn about naloxone and how to administer it.
• Keep in mind that not everyone is ready to give up opioids completely, so consider treatment options such as medication for opioid use disorders (MOUD) or harm reduction programs.
• Avoid judgmental or stigmatizing language.
• Include them in fun activities that you are involved in.
• Learn how to set clear and healthy boundaries for your loved one.

Remember that you cannot force someone to change; it has to be their decision, but you can encourage them and support them along the way.

Find Opioid Addiction Treatment Today

Finding support is an important step in coping with a loved one’s substance use disorder, but what the struggling individual needs most is treatment. If they’re ready to seek help, contact a treatment provider or visit our rehab directory to explore their treatment options and get started today.