Family Program

Our Family Program Opens the Lines of Communication

When you arrive at Lakeview, we will, with your permission, mail out a packet to your family. We are looking for their input on your behaviors, your strengths, and areas of concern as they relate to alcoholism and addiction. This is an integral part of your treatment. We encourage your family to return the packet, even if they are not available for more in-depth participation, such as being available for family sessions by phone or attending our Family Program.

Weekly Family Sessions Help Heal Wounds

We work with your family to recover lost faith and trust. You and your therapist will have weekly sessions with your spouse, parents, children, or other immediate family. These phone sessions will:

• Update them on your progress
• Teach them about addiction and the family
• Introduce new communication skills
• Establish appropriate boundaries

Finally, we involve them in planning what will happen when you leave rehab, such as where to live or whether to seek ongoing therapy.

Treatment Includes a 4-day Family Workshop

While in treatment, we encourage you to invite your family members to Jacksonville and participate in our 4-day Family Workshop, conducted by our licensed Family and Marriage Therapist. It is designed to help the family of the addict or alcoholic. This intensive program takes place every two weeks at Lakeview and there is no additional cost to attend. We only ask that family members provide their own transportation to our Jacksonville facility, as well as local accommodations.

Alcoholism and Addiction Are, Without Doubt, Family Diseases

We have found that when there is family alcoholism or family addiction, it is impossible to maintain a healthy, functioning family system. Either the addict leaves the system in order to continue his or her use, or the system must change to accommodate the addict. Once this occurs, the family members are no longer functioning on a healthy basis.

In order to recover, the entire family of the addict or alcoholic must work towards the goal of social and psychological health. That means replacing co-dependent, controlling, aggressive, abusive, or threatening behaviors are with new, healthy ones. After years of addiction, the family’s communication skills are generally unhealthy and unproductive, and all members lack appropriate and safe personal boundaries.

Alcoholism and addiction generally run in the family. Any other family members that are behaving in an addictive manner should seek individual treatment. These addictions may include alcoholism, drug addiction, sex addiction, gambling addiction, and addiction to video games or the Internet. It is imperative that you remove all mood-altering substances, such as drugs or alcohol, from the home before the addict or alcoholic’s return.

You Can’t Fix Them, but You Can Fix You

The family sessions and Family Workshop are just the beginning of a new, happier, and healthier family system. We recommend that the family continue in recovery efforts together upon the patient’s return home. This may include family counseling, individual therapy, and support meetings, such as AA, Al-Anon, and Codependents Anonymous.

The family should remember that while they are powerless over the addict or alcoholic’s use and behavior and cannot change it, they can change themselves.

If you have any questions about our family program, or if you need help or advice about a drug or alcohol problem, you can call our free Addiction Helpline, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, at 1-800-884-1727. You can also reach our Helpline by using Live Chat or through our Contact Us form.