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NEWS RELEASE
FAMILY COUNSELING IS OFTEN NEEDED TO HELP ADDICTS RECOVER
But counseling is often needed to help families overcome their anger at loved ones for having gotten involved in drugs, alcohol or gambling before they can provide an effective support network
MURRIETA, Calif., October 2006 – Maureen Green grew up with an alcoholic father who put his family through 20 years of torment before he finally got the help he needed to conquer his addiction.
But while her father ultimately stopped drinking, the Green family never got the counseling they needed to heal their feelings about the tremendous disruptions that he had caused in their lives. Feeling shame about his addiction, they never talked about it at all.
After her son concluded a 28-day alcohol addiction program at A Better Tomorrow, however, Green now realizes that family members who keep silent about their loved ones’ addictions are making a big mistake. They need therapy as much as their loved ones.
“There’s a lot of anger and frustration that needs to be healed up before you can do something positive to help a loved one with an addiction,” Green said.
Green herself didn’t realize the importance of family counseling until after her family traveled from their home in Texas to attended a family counseling session organized by A Better Tomorrow after their son completed his initial treatment session. That’s when the lights came on and Green realized that families are making a mistake by keeping addictions in the closet.
Family counseling is needed, she said, not only to overcome anger, but to be able to forgive loved ones for the pain they have caused. That has to happen, she said, before family members can recover their positive attitudes and provide the supportive family structure that recovering addicts need to fully conquer their addictions.
A Better Tomorrow typically provides at least two family counseling sessions for its clients during their 28-day program. “If they’re local, they continue family counseling here or I refer them to a therapist if they live out of town,” said Sylvia Reynolds, A Better Tomorrow’s family counselor.
Reynolds said family counseling is needed because people with addictions affect their whole families. Through family counseling, families not only learn what to expect as their loved ones continue their recovery, but they learn what they can do to heal themselves.
“We give families a safe arena to talk about their feelings,” Reynolds said. “We also provide them with opportunities to come and talk to other families who are going through the same thing and they realize they’re not alone.”
Reynolds added that while recovering alcoholics, gamblers and drug addicts often need to attend support meetings organized by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Gamblers Anonymous (GA) and similar groups, families need similar kinds of ongoing support.
“Families need to get help and not try to handle it on your own,” said Erika Rodriguez of Romoland, who learned the value of family counseling after her brother, Vicente, began treatment for a severe alcohol and drug addiction. “Addiction is a big issue. It’s greater than you think it is, and it affects everyone,” she said.
A Better Tomorrow provides treatment for individuals suffering from drug, alcohol and gambling addictions. The Murrieta-based clinic is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), placing it in the top 5 percent of drug and alcohol treatment clinics in California. For more information about A Better Tomorrow or to arrange interviews with professional staffers and consenting patients, please contact Jerrod Menz at (800) 757-9867. Additional information is available on the company’s websites at www.abttc.com and www.treatment4gambling.com.
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