Last Updated:
June 26th, 2025
While the spotlight is often on the person going through addiction, it’s easy for you and other family members to slip into the background, quietly carrying the weight of it all. We highlight the importance of taking care of yourself during this challenging time and explore how to get support not only for your loved one but also for the entire family unit.
How addiction can affect every aspect of the family unit
When someone is struggling with addiction, the effects rarely stay contained to that one person. Addiction can send shockwaves through an entire household, affecting each member of the family in different yet deeply connected ways. When you’re living through it, it can feel as though the ground beneath your feet keeps shifting.
These emotions build up fast, and they rarely come with a release valve. Imagine a partner constantly on edge, worrying how their spouse will act when they return home or a teenager hiding in their room to avoid the shouting downstairs. That’s the emotional cost.
What is family therapy?
When people imagine family therapy, they often think it’s a place to let off steam. Perhaps to finally say all the things they’ve been holding back from the person who’s addicted, and while there’s room for that kind of honesty, family therapy goes much deeper. It’s about untangling the patterns that addiction has created or made worse and giving families the tools to change how they relate to one another, not just the person in active addiction.
In addiction recovery, therapy for the family doesn’t mean stepping aside so the individual can ‘fix themselves.’ It means recognising that the system they live in also needs to heal and that everyone in that system has a role to play in making recovery possible.
How family therapy helps you and your loved one
Working through the cracks in the family system and reflecting on how you respond to the situation can help you cope with everything that addiction brings. At the same time, it creates a stronger support system for your loved one.
We don’t often rely on well-worn sayings, but “two birds with one stone” genuinely fits here. Family therapy gives you the space to heal yourself while actively helping the person you care about.
Here’s how it does that:
Changes in the family can create changes in the individual
When one family member begins to respond differently to addiction, with less enabling and more boundaries, it can change how the entire system functions.
Example
A parent who used to give their adult child money whenever they were in crisis begins to say no, even when it’s difficult. Over time, this helps shift the child’s reliance from manipulation to responsibility, prompting them to seek actual help.
The focus is on practical solutions, not just revisiting the past
Family therapy often deals with what’s happening now: trust issues, conflict, and breakdowns in communication. It’s not always about tracing things back to childhood.
Example
Take a couple who argue constantly about late-night disappearances. In therapy, they don’t spend sessions rehashing old betrayals, they work together to create a new structure of communication that helps both feel safe and supported moving forward.
It gives families a plan for dealing with setbacks
Relapse or difficult behaviour doesn’t have to derail everything. Therapy helps families come up with strategies so they don’t fall into chaos or blame when challenges arise.
Example
One family, after a daughter drinks again following six months of sobriety, her brother doesn’t explode with anger as he used to. Instead, the family follows the plan made in therapy: removing alcohol from the home, making a calm check-in with her therapist, and re-establishing boundaries while showing care.
It replaces blame with genuine understanding
Many families blame themselves or each other. Therapy opens up space for empathy and clarity, not accusation.
Example
For instance, a teenage son who once saw his father as weak for “not quitting” gains a new perspective after learning about the grip addiction has on brain function and mood regulation. Instead of shouting matches, their conversations begin to shift into something more compassionate and curious.
It strengthens the foundation the person returns to after rehab
Recovery doesn’t happen in a vacuum. When the home environment improves, it becomes a place that encourages growth, not relapse.
Example
One man returns home after treatment to find his family has attended support groups, learned how to communicate more calmly, and stopped tiptoeing around him. This sense of shared investment makes him feel less isolated and more motivated to continue his recovery.
It adapts to your family’s culture and communication style
Therapists work with what’s natural for your family, whether that’s humour, storytelling, structure, or tradition. There’s no one-size-fits-all model.
Example
A family who found direct confrontation difficult were encouraged to write letters instead of speaking in sessions. This approach respected their style while still allowing honest expression to unfold.
Does UKAT use family therapy in addiction recovery programmes?
UKAT includes family therapy as a key part of our addiction recovery programmes. You won’t be forced to take part, but we strongly encourage it, as it helps many families reconnect, set healthy boundaries, and better understand what their loved ones are going through. Addiction rarely affects just one person, which is why our programmes are designed to support the entire family unit.
For the individual, we offer tailored treatment that includes a full clinical assessment, safe detox, one-to-one counselling, group therapy, and holistic treatments. Once residential treatment ends, our aftercare services continue to support recovery and reduce the risk of relapse.
As a family member, you’ll have access to support groups and sessions where you can speak freely, ask questions, and learn how to support your loved one best while also looking after yourself.
Reach out to UKAT today. You don’t have to face this alone, and we’re awaiting your call.