SFP 005 – Communicating effectively with your addicted loved one

Written By Jason Luoma

This podcast was released May 27, 2014, by the original owners of this website when it was called SoberFamilies.com.

While the content is 10 years old, the communication skills demonstrated here, using the acronym “PIOUS”, remain effective today.

Today we have on the show Jessi Frothingham, MA, MFT. Jessi has spent years working with family members that have a loved one who is using drugs or alcohol. As a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and certified CRAFT therapist, Jessi’s passion is in helping families to stay in their relationships in a healthier way. She is in private practice in Portland, Oregon and previously worked at The Center for Family & Adolescent Research.

Today’s show is about communication. Communicating with a loved one who is drinking too much or using drugs can be really difficult. It can be even more difficult to talk about their drinking or drug use in particular. Jessi has worked with a lot of family members around communication and how to improve it.

In today’s episode, Jessi talked to us about 5 specific skills that have been shown to help family members in their attempts to communicate with their loved one. These skills are:

1) being positive

2) making “I” statements,”

3) offering to help

4) expressing understanding, and

5) being specific.

Jessi discusses why these skills are important and then shows us how to use these skills in your life and how they can transform the way that you interact
with your loved one.
Items mentioned in this podcast include:

Jason Luoma
Next

SFP 004 – Motivating Your Addicted Loved One Without Nagging, Threatening or Blaming