Family Recovery Programme

Sundays From 2pm to 3pm

Primrose Lodge offer a unique and healing Family Recovery Programme to its client’s family members and partners. Often during an addict’s rehabilitation process, the family can be neglected. We believe that a full and permanent recovery from addiction starts at home; healing the family from the years of suffering they have endured at the hands of their loved one’s illness.

We are passionate about treating our patients as a whole individual; this means addressing any issues that may challenge their recovery once they leave our clinic. By providing a Family Recovery Programme, we can assist the individual and their family in the process of rebuilding healthier relationships and moving away from destructive and unhelpful behaviours on both sides.

The Pain of Loving an Addict

There is no doubt that loving an addict or alcoholic is painful; their self destruction and problematic behaviours cause years of pent up resentment, guilt and blame within those that are close to them. If the family are to move forward and heal, certain issues need to be aired and addressed.

The truth of addiction is that it has a tremendous ripple effect on all of the lives that the sufferers touch, family being the main concern.

Recovery is all about change for the better; so with this in mind, the family too will need to make some changes in order to adapt to and support their newly sober loved one.

For an addict or alcoholic to regain trust and rebuild their personal relationships, stopping the drink or drugs simply isn’t enough. The family will have endured years of manipulation, lying, stealing, cheating and fear whilst trying to help their loved one save themselves from self destructing. In some cases this causes the family to go to extreme lengths, even breaking their own moral code and endangering their own well being and financial security. The family’s lives become consumed by the addict’s world; they come to know and expect chaos and fear on a daily basis.

The family will find that they too have much healing to do. Naturally, most will want to support their newly sober loved one but not know how, as all attempts in the past have failed miserably.

Our programme assists in clearing away some of the debris of the past and shows the family how to prioritise their own needs as individuals and how they can be of real support to their loved one in moving forward. We aim to educate the family and help set them free from the constant fear and worry, enabling them to start living and enjoying their own lives once again

Understanding Addiction

Many family members make the common mistake of thinking they are able to save their loved one from addiction; or they blame themselves for the fact their loved one is an addict. The truth is no one knows the real reason why an individual becomes an addict; some will state they were born an addict and can remember possessing addict tendencies before they even picked up a drink or drug. Others will remember a definite line where they crossed from controlled drinking and using to losing all control and perspective. Others still, will attribute their addiction to their upbringing, a traumatic event, breakdown of a relationship or a bereavement. There is no one reason why addiction develops. However what we do know is that addiction is an illness, how exactly it manifests is not still solidly confirmed. Genetics have a part to play; an individual’s genetic makeup can make them more predisposed to developing addiction and mental health illnesses. Addiction is classed as a chronic relapsing brain disease; characterised by an overwhelming compulsion to take alcohol, drugs or indulge in unhealthy behaviours. This compulsion is far stronger than the individual’s will to stop, the love of their family and even the love for their own children. They are completely powerless when it comes to resisting the temptation of their addiction. It is important for family members not to blame themselves; this is pointless, as no one is responsible for another person developing an illness they are predisposed to.

Understand that your loved one is very sick; that they require professional help and treatment to get them well, and that as a family each individual will have their own issues brought up by addiction that they will need to deal with. With everyone on the same footing and understanding, everyone involved can have a bright and beautiful future.

Healing the Family

At Primrose Lodge we are able to offer family members an individual therapy session with their loved one and a qualified addiction Counsellor present. This is particularly helpful in situations where all communication has broken down, or where there is deep resentment present. The Counsellor will conduct the session to ensure that both parties are able to have their say in a constructive and helpful way. They will also assist in helping to find an agreed solution that is tangible for both parties and conducive in moving forward.

The family after treatment, can feel very fearful around doing and saying the right thing for the good of their loved one’s recovery. Naturally, they will want to do all they can to support them when they return back home from treatment. We will do our best to educate the family as to how they can support their newly sober loved in their recovery. It is rarely advisable to wrap them in cotton wool; they will need to start making their own decisions as to what is best for them in their on-going recovery. Recovery is very much a process of learning and change. Each individual has to find their own path and be allowed to make their own mistakes. Providing they learn from their mistakes and do not pick up a substance or destructive behaviour, then this is progress in the right direction. At Primrose lodge, we will equip your loved one with the tools they need to face life sober and clean. It may be, that in the early days of their recovery, all they can do is focus on laying the foundations for a sober and clean life. We encourage this process, it is important that they do not take on more than they can cope with. Once they have built a good support network locally and learned to practice the basic principles of recovery we have shown them, they will be in a better position to deal with life on life’s terms without the need or desire for a drink or drug.

How Primrose Lodge Can Help

Once a month, Primrose Lodge facilitates an open day for families and partners of those that are in treatment with us. You will be given the opportunity to engage in some of the treatments we offer and communicate any questions or concerns you may have with our Counsellors. Our treatment programme is completely transparent; as such you will be able to see exactly how we are helping your loved one to recover. Whilst we have a strict policy that we adhere to around protecting our patient’s confidentiality, we are able to advise and educate families in a constructive way that benefits all that are involved. We can also advise individual family members how to best access support and help for themselves.

Our Family Recovery Programme is aimed at assisting both the addict and their family during the treatment process and through the early days of their recovery. We appreciate that your loved one returning back home is a very frightening for all concerned; we will do wall we can to support you during this time of readjustment.

One of the greatest rewards we see as a result of the work that we do, is families being reunited and coming to know a healthier relationship with one another. Primrose Lodge go that extra mile to assist in starting this process within the safety of the treatment environment.

For further details and information on our family programme, please call and speak to a member of our clinical team.