Information for the Family:
Having a loved one with an alcohol or other drug problem is extremely stressful. Healthy lifestyles become imbalanced as family members expend emotional and material resources trying to reduce the problem and help the family member who is addicted. It can sometimes seem that the more you do, the worse the problem gets.
Please know that you are not alone.
At Stepping Stone we are very aware of the concept of addiction as a family disease. We know that you are hurting. We know that your family needs healing. In addition to the Thursday night family group, our therapists are available to provide optional individual family counseling.
If you have ever flown by commercial airline, you have been instructed on how to access emergency oxygen. In particular, parents are instructed to put on their own oxygen masks before attending to children. That is an important concept: if you don’t take care of yourself, you will soon be unable to care for anyone else. During a time of crisis, you may not know this but it is important for family members to take care of themselves for their own sakes. We encourage you to seek out some of the many support groups available to families of those afflicted with addiction to alcohol and other drugs, such as Al-Anon, Naranon, CoDA, and SMART family group (non-rdirecting links). Seek support from a counselor, therapist, pastor, or mentor.
What to expect from treatment (for the family):
When your loved one enters treatment at Stepping Stone, he or she will begin with an orientation phase (sometimes called “blackout”). In this phase, the person becomes acclimated to the Stepping Stone culture, treatment structure, and recovery in general. Our residents do not contact family or got to outside meetings during the orientation phase. You may notice a sense of relief that your loved one is safe, but you may also notice a sense of curiosity, or even anxiety, as you acclimate to not having the loved one around.
Please take care of yourself. This is a good time to start accessing your own support.