family program

As hard as a person with a drinking or drug problem might try to keep their substance use disorder and its associated problems under control, the ripple effects will eventually spread to other people in their lives. At Still Waters, we’ve developed our Family Program to help families accept the realities of addiction as a family illness and put in the work to heal everyone involved.

How Does Addiction Impact Families?

Even when someone is too caught up in addiction to notice, their loved ones still care about what is happening to them. Worries about the potential of an accidental overdose or an arrest due to a DUI may make it hard for them to think about anything else. The resulting stress can cause a host of issues.

Substance abuse places enormous mental, physical, emotional, social and financial strain on families. Researchers at Harvard classified addiction as a form of “toxic stress,” meaning “strong, frequent and/or prolonged adversity” that creates a physiological response. Long-term effects can include increased vulnerability to mental and physical health problems like depression, high blood pressure and cognitive impairment. Eventually, these hairline cracks can tear the family apart.

Treating the Entire Family

Once someone is in treatment for addiction and is working on recovery, it’s essential for their family members to seek help, too. The entire family needs time and space to come to terms with all the ways substance abuse has impacted their lives.

With family counseling, loved ones can begin to process their emotions and gain tools for supporting clients enrolled in our program. It can also be valuable for family members to unlearn dysfunctional behaviors like denial, resentment, enabling and codependency, making the life changes that are such a vital part of helping end a drug or alcohol addiction.

How Can Our Family Program Benefit You?

While accountability, sober fellowship and extended support services provide a stable foundation for lifelong sobriety, family involvement is the cornerstone. With proven therapeutic techniques, we show families how to rebuild vital pieces of their relationships, including trust, boundaries and communication.

In Still Waters’ Family Program, you and your family can find ways to accept the role addiction has played in all your lives so you can move forward and heal together. Through monthly meetings and weekly visitations, Still Waters encourages family members to discuss their experiences as they start their journey to recovery using the 12 Steps of Al-Anon.

Through our Family Program, families will learn to understand addiction as a chronic disease, not a moral flaw. Then, you can start to view addictive behavior as the symptom of an illness that can be challenging to control.

Reach Out to Our Team

Still Waters is a unique 12-step immersion program designed for medically stable adults who are searching for an alternative to traditional treatment tracks. If you have maintained a period of sobriety and then relapsed, want to thoroughly explore step work and are motivated to recover, our offerings may be right for you. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you and your family.

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Still Waters is an amazing place! I have personally witnessed the spiritual restoration of a loved one through this program. When I needed a place to send a loved one in active addiction, this was my first choice. The staff are honest, caring and tough when necessary. The bond that develops between residents, staff and alumni is inspiring. Still Waters saved my loved one’s life and I will be forever grateful!

J.G., Family Member of a Still Waters Alumni

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