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Effects of alcoholism on families

Effects of alcoholism on families

If you have a friend or family member who is struggling with alcohol addiction, the experts at Delamere are here to help.


“Delamere focuses on equipping you with the tools to love sobriety and understand what led to the addiction in the first place which really helped me grow.” Delamere Guest, 2021

Holistic approach to recovery

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Is alcoholism affecting your family?

Drinking alcohol to excess not only has a devastating impact on the individual; it also has a profound effect on the people around them. Alcoholism is a psychological disease that is uncontrollable and therefore the person who is afflicted is unaware of the damage they are causing to themselves and their family. It can be incredibly difficult living with an alcoholic as family members struggle with feelings of love and despair. We understand the effects of alcoholism on families and will hep you to get the support you need.

Delamere is the first purpose-built retreat in the UK that offers specialist help for family and friends who are concerned about alcohol addiction. People often turn to us when alcohol is adversely affecting their loved ones and they are finding it difficult to tackle the problem alone. We can help families affected by alcohol stage an intervention, which ensures not only the person suffering with addiction, but also the people close to them, get individualised treatment.

If you want to talk about your family and alcohol addiction, contact our team today and learn more about the different programmes we offer here at Delamere.

See how a stay at Delamere can give you the time, space and tools needed to grow beyond your addiction. Book a consultation

How alcoholism affects families

Alcoholism creeps into every area of your life and is especially destructive within the family environment. Whether you are the child, parent or partner of an alcoholic, their drinking can affect you emotionally, physically and financially. Here are some of the known effects of alcoholism on families and what Delamere can do to help:

How alcoholism affects children

Children who live with an alcoholic parent are at risk at all stages of their lives. Alcoholism affects unborn babies, causing developmental defects and, in later years, can affect children’s behaviour and mental health. As a result of alcoholism, children may be exposed to abuse, poor living conditions, drug abuse and neglect. If you have grown up in a destructive home, chances are you will develop long-term problems that require specialist support. Our holistic therapists help families affected by alcohol to work through past trauma with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and one-to-one support.

How alcoholism affects parents

When your child starts abusing alcohol it’s easy to feel like it’s all your fault. You may have feelings of shame or suffer with anxiety and depression. It’s important to remember that their drinking affects you too and try to shield yourself. Alcohol problems can often begin in adolescence when thrill-seeking behaviour is at its peak, but it’s also not uncommon for older adults who are addicted to alcohol to live with their parents. This can lead to co-dependency which is a damaging situation for both parties. Our intervention services can help people who are concerned about a toxic relationship to get help without judgement.

Is your family member struggling with alcohol addiction? Talk to us today

How alcoholism affects partners

Alcohol abuse can also affect relationships between partners both physically and mentally. Living with an alcoholic can be challenging as it can feel like they no longer respect or care for you. This can result in a rift that worsens over time and is hard to repair. In the worse cases alcohol addiction can end in financial problems, extramarital affairs and even domestic abuse. We work with families affected by alcohol to address the root cause of the addiction and learn coping mechanisms that allow couples to reconnect and move on with their lives.

How to cope with the effects of alcoholism on your family

First of all, remember that you are not to blame for your loved one’s alcoholism, and neither are they. Alcohol addiction is a brain disorder that can take years to recover from. While anger and resentment make it hard to sympathise, recognise that this is an illness like any other than won’t get better without professional treatment. Don’t push your needs to the bottom of the list. Make the process inclusive and work together to find the best route forward. Tell the family member how their alcoholism makes you feel. Rather than criticising or being judgemental, follow this up with positive actions you can both take to make the situation better. Delamere offers a wide range of family counselling and intervention services that can help families affected by alcohol to get closer to achieving their goals.

The Delamere approach to helping families with alcohol addiction

We believe that families are a very powerful tool in the recovery process. A shared love for the person who is suffering with alcohol addiction means everyone is invested in a positive outcome and can be there before, during and beyond their stay with us. Many of our therapists are in active recovery themselves and are in the best place to offer help and guidance to families affected by alcoholism.

We begin every residential rehab programme with a medically supervised alcohol detox, which helps your loved one to withdraw from alcohol safely in the comfort of their own ensuite room. They will then have access to a personal therapist who can help them make sense of their addiction, understand its impact on you and what they can do to overcome it.

Our unique three-stage approach considers their physical, mental and emotional needs, using a range of advanced addiction therapies and somatic healing techniques. Guests can choose from a wide range of treatment options that are tailor-made to their needs and will help to ensure lasting recovery. We involve the entire family throughout to give your loved one the best chances of success.

Stop. Start. Grow

Our Stop Start Grow model is a refreshing approach to treatment and is what makes recovery at Delamere different. Our goal is always to give you the mindset and tools to grow beyond addiction and live life on your terms once you leave us.

Stop

Settle into your new environment
and remove yourself from
any distractions

Outcomes Outcomes

Start

Spend time with our therapists to discover what led you to this behaviour in the first place

Delamere treatment model Delamere treatment model

Grow

Set healthy boundaries,
exciting new goals and prepare for
life after Delamere

Environment Environment

Bloom

Practice using the tools
while staying anchored to support.
Bring Recovery Home.

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Our core elements of treatment

We believe that alcohol addiction, whether stemming from childhood trauma or a traumatic event – stems from somewhere. Rather than adhering to the conventional step-based programmes, we look at underlying factors that drive your behaviour. Only by recognising how you arrived at this point can you begin to positively shape your future.


1.

Stopping the cycle of addiction safely and comfortably

2.

Healing whatever
pain is causing
the behaviour

3.

Instilling tools to help facilitate change and encourage continued growth

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