This podcast was released November 7, 2013, by the original owners of this website when it was called SoberFamilies.com.

In this episode of the Sober Families Podcast, we talked with Dr. Christeine Terry about the kinds of costs that addiction to drugs and alcohol can have for families. If you’re listening to this podcast, you’ve probably experienced first-hand the damaging effects of addiction on you, your family, and your addicted love one. Addiction has many costs, and some of the most “expensive” costs of addiction are the negative impacts it has on family members. In today’s show, will be discussing how addiction impacts families, as well as things family members can do to reduce the costs of a loved one’s addiction.

Whether it’s your husband that is addicted to alcohol, a son who is addicted to opiates, or a partner who is addicted to marijuana, addiction can have a powerful and damaging effect on relationships. It’s important to talk about the negative impacts addiction has on families for at least two reasons. One is that spouses, parents, children, and other family members often feel alone and isolated, like no one else understands their situations. We want people to know that they’re not alone, that there are many people out there that of experience similar things, and have gone on to improve their lives and their family’s life, and to get their loved one on the road to recovery from addiction to drugs or alcohol. The second reason is that hearing about the impact of addiction in other families can help motivate you to take action in your family. Sometimes, it takes us hearing about others experiences to realize how deep the effects have been on us.

Sober Families is not here to tell you that there’s one right way to help your addicted loved one or yourself. We know that each family deals with addiction in their own way and makes their own solutions. We hope this episode helps you and your family on your journey.

In this podcast we talk about:

• How drugs and alcohol can disrupt family roles

• The ways in which stress due to addiction to drugs and alcohol hurt people’s mental and physical health

• How addicted children can affect the parent’s marriage and lead to needless self-blame and guilt

• Ideas on how to get support for yourself and your family

• How family members can learn skills for how to respond to addiction effectively

Items mentioned in this podcast include:

CRAFT

More on what addiction is and how it impacts families (Resource no longer available)

Strategies to refuel your emotional fuel tank when you feel like giving up