Understanding Addiction
Addiction is more than just using substances; it also affects this.
What are thoughts, emotions, and behavior?
Stress, conflict, and trust issues are common examples of this.
What are effects of substance use on the family?
A clear limit that protects safety, well-being, and responsibility.
What is a boundary?
Yelling, blaming, and shutting down are signs of this.
What is unhealthy communication?
The biggest risk factor for relapse often shows up before substance use does.
What is behavioral or emotional withdrawal?
People struggling with addiction often continue using even when this is happening.
What are negative consequences?
Hero, scapegoat, mascot, and lost child are examples of this.
What are family roles?
When families repeatedly rescue someone from consequences, they are unintentionally doing this.
What is reinforcing the behavior?
Using “I” statements helps reduce this.
What is defensiveness?
Isolation, irritability, and secrecy are examples of this.
What are relapse warning signs?
This can increase in addiction, making it harder for families to know what is true.
What is dishonesty or secrecy?
Supporting recovery rather than protecting the addiction describes this.
What is helping, not enabling?
A family enforces rules inconsistently because they are trying to protect this.
What is emotional comfort or peace?
Doing things for someone that they can do for themselves is an example of this.
What is enabling?
This allows support and accountability after a lapse.
What is honesty?
In early recovery, this may fluctuate even when someone says they want to change.
What is motivation or insight?
Fear, shame, and denial are reasons families may do this.
What is avoiding talking about substance use?
Boundaries are meant to change this, not emotions.
What is behavior?
This is built when families listen as much as they talk.
What is trust?
Recovery stalls when the goal becomes avoiding substances instead of changing this.
What are coping patterns and lifestyle?
Understanding addiction helps families respond with support while still maintaining this.
What are healthy boundaries and accountability?
This allows families to support recovery without trying to control it.
What are healthy boundaries?
A boundary only works if the family does this after setting it.
What is follow-through?
Pausing, staying calm, and revisiting conversations later support this.
What is healthy conflict resolution?
The one thing every person in the family is fully responsible for in recovery.
What are my own choices and responses?