You’re reading this because someone close to you – a family member, significant other, or close friend – is struggling with alcoholism. Welcome, you’re in the right place.
Here at Malvern, we know what it’s like to rage against a loved one’s drinking. We’re made up of people who have either directly struggled with substance abuse or been impacted by it. We have a dog in the fight, a personal stake in seeing you recover.
Still, it isn’t easy to admit that you need help, especially when your feelings, fears, and goals are so often pushed aside in order to help the “sick” person. There’s nothing wrong with helping them and there’s nothing wrong with helping yourself.
What does any of this have to do with Al-Anon? Well, much like AA itself, Al-Anon can only help someone if they want to be helped. Once you’re in this position though, your emotional, mental, and spiritual health start improving fast.
The answer to the question above – will Al-Anon help me? – is a resounding YES. Read on to learn some of the benefits this often misunderstood program offers.
The Benefits of Al-Anon
The most obvious perk of getting involved with Al-Anon (or Alateen for younger family members) is the sense of belong and community these groups offer.
Suddenly, quite suddenly in fact, the isolation of alcoholism and addiction is over. You’re among people who know exactly what you’re going through. You’re among people who know the pain of being helpless in the face of a loved one’s drinking. You’re among people who’ve been there and recovered.
While this sense of community is wonderful, there’s another, larger, benefit Al-Anon offers. It all has to do with the word recovered above – Al-Anon offers a way for you and your family to find emotional, spiritual, and mental health despite your loved one’s substance abuse.
The path to your personal recovery isn’t always going to be easy…but it’s possible and within your reach!
Through a dedicated support system, introspection and self-work, and 12-step principles, Al-Anon offers a solution to the overwhelming and frightening world of your family or friend’s disease. It helps you from losing yourself in their journey to recovery, while, at the same time, finding yourself on your journey.
Sounds kind of corny and overwrought, right? Well it is…until you experience it. Then it’s nothing short of miraculous.
Another benefit of Al-Anon, Alateen, and Nar-Anon (a support system specifically for those with a loved one abusing drugs) is their continued guidance through your loved one’s early-sobriety.
Those first few months – or years – aren’t only difficult for the alcoholic. They’re difficult for everyone involved. Al-Anon helps you navigate the often-unpredictable world of early-recovery. They’re there through the false starts, relapses, and emotional handwringing. They’re there through it all.
Topics commonly covered in Al-Anon meetings include:
- Self-Blame
- Codependency
- Detaching with Love
- The 3 C’s (we didn’t cause it, we can’t control it, & we can’t cure it)
- Loyalty (to active alcoholics, addicts, abusers, etc.)
- Excessive Care-Taking
- The Difference Between Love & Pity
Family Care From Malvern
As great as Al-Anon and its sister fellowships are – and they’re truly life changers – there are other options for personal recovery. Most treatment centers have family care programs and Malvern’s no exception. We offer a dedicated family component during all stages of the treatment process.
During inpatient treatment there’s an ongoing family education lecture series. This explores not only the patient’s experience with addiction and recovery, but various new family systems, behavioral roles, and coping mechanisms that can lead to long-term recovery.
This is in addition to a minimum of two family therapy sessions during residential care. Oh, and families and close friends can visit their loved one during the weekends.
We believe in the power of of individualized treatment. What this means for the family is that while we offer all the above as baseline services, each patient and their primary therapist tackle unique challenges. This could lead to a more intensive clinical focus on the family or, if the situation warrants, a less intensive focus.
We offer a similar family program during the partial hospitalization phase of treatment. Once our patients get to intensive outpatient and general outpatient that family care begins to take a different shape.
While we prioritize treating the family during step down levels of care, it’s a bit different than in residential and PHP. We offer individual family therapy sessions, educational outreach and various other forms of family support, and continued drug testing (to bolster accountability).
We also support and encourage the family to attend Al-Anon, Alateen, or Nar-Anon meetings during and after their loved one’s treatment.
If you’d like more detailed information on the PA chapter of Al-Anon, visit their site . For more information on our family program, call us today at (610) 647-0330.