We have seen the value of having the love and support of our families throughout our lives. As children, they take care of us, give us love, and even come to our performances and school functions. As we get older and more independent, they are still there for us, prompting a “Hi Mom!” at our graduation or perhaps a thank you for all of the support. In adulthood, we can still rely on them to offer us love, support, and wisdom, even as we have kids of our own. Through every stage of life, our family is important. So why not also in our recovery?
Our recovery is one of the most important things we can do in life. If we were to be diagnosed with cancer, our families would rush to our bedside. Like cancer, addiction is also a potentially fatal disease. And so when we begin treatment, we need that love just as badly as if we had a different disease.
Love
There is nothing on earth like the love of our family. Whether they are our genetic families, families by adoption, or a spouse whom we chose, families are the people who have shaped us and made us who we are. They have seen our worst moments, and they still love us, and there is no stronger love than that in this world.
Being surrounded by the love of our families helps us to feel valued, to keep fighting, and wanting to be better people for them. The love of our families gives us hope, helps us feel connected, and keeps us grounded when everything else seems to be turning upside down. The love of our families gives us the courage to love ourselves, even when we feel there is no reason to.
Strength
Having our family support us in our recovery gives us so much more strength. The physical symptoms of sobriety are difficult enough to deal with. But it is the mental and emotional upheaval that is really difficult. We know that if we are going to be well, we have to dig deep and face our pain head-on.
The work of recovery can be exhausting, so physically and mentally draining that we feel like we cannot go on. The love and support of our families give us that extra fuel to tackle the next issue or just fight to stay present and learn what we need to. Our families are like finding water in the desert that is not just a mirage… the perfect anecdote to our suffering.
Success
People who have family support tend to be more successful in recovery, too. In the same way that the student that has full family support economically, physically and emotionally will be more successful than the student that is homeless and without support, so it goes in recovery, too.
Support from family connects the circle between home and treatment and helps give us a more integrated and complete recovery. The support is not unlike the physical support we receive if we were to do a trust fall – when we allow ourselves to fall and trust that those with us will catch us. Family support is just like that physical support when we feel like we are falling emotionally as we try to break our habits of addiction.
Faith
The family has a definite impact on faith within recovery. Many of us were raised with some level of faith or perhaps even a specific religion. The home is where we get our foundation for future spirituality. If we have that foundation, it makes our recovery that much easier. We can rekindle our faith or find a higher power more easily if we have been introduced to it in our families.
Watching family members model prayer, faith, and trust in God or a higher power helps us to be familiar and to learn to rely on faith to rebuild our own lives. The attributes of spirituality that we have seen in the home, even if we don’t see them now, help us to surrender ourselves and build a relationship with God on our own.
Healing
It is just as important for our families to recover from our addiction as it is for us to recover. Addiction disrupts the entire family, and there are many ways family members are impacted. Often, family members are lied to, stolen from, are recipients of violence, or become substance users themselves as a result of another family member’s addiction.
Our addiction impacts the love and trust of our family circle on every level, and we are not the only ones who need healing from that trauma. As we work in our recovery, our families can also work alongside us to heal and become whole again, too.
At Fort Worth Recovery, we understand that recovery from an addiction to drugs or alcohol is a personal and challenging road to travel. We seek to inspire clients to face their challenges, accept their present state, and foster hope for their future. If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, call us today at 817-381-9741, or visit us online.
