Families with Addiction Issues
When one person in a family has an addiction, the whole family is affected. Parents, grandparents, siblings, spouses/partners and children all have to deal with the addiction in one way or the other. Because of the insidious nature of an addiction, families are not often able to respond in ways that produce healing and sobriety. Rather the family feels itself "under attack" and reacts with anger, suspicion, denial, isolation and a host of other negative behaviors. It is as if family members have lost their own lives and become completely focused on the addict. Individuals lose their very selves. And the person with the addiction continues his/her downward, destructive spiral.
The Relationship Centre encourages family members to become involved with the family program offered by AADAC (Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission. AADAC has a wealth of information and services and can be contacted in Calgary at 403-297-3071; in High River at 403-652-8333; in Cochrane at 403-932-4765; in Strathmore at 403-901-1326; and in Airdrie at 403-912-3306.
The Relationship Centre also encourages family members to become involved with their local chapter of Al-Anon. This group helps family members of alcoholics and addicts to find themselves and their lives again. Meetings in Okotoks are at the United Church offices on Monday, Tuesday and Friday evenings at 8 p.m. There are also groups in High River and South Calgary.
The Relationship Centre provides additional services in the form of individual and/or family therapy when the above services still do not fully address the pain and grief, the frustration and the devastation that family members experience. In this case, therapy helps individuals
- find coping strategies to manage their relationship with the addicted person
- deal with their overwhelming anger, fear and guilt
- forgive themselves