The Help Me Stop family programme is available for up to two relatives or friends of people who join our Dayhab programme or our Online Rehab. But why is it so important for people close to those with an addiction to get their own support? Helena attended the Help Me Stop family programme while her loved one was in treatment with us. She invited us to Mima’s Place, where we feasted on pastries and coffee, whilst chatting about her experience of getting help with addiction in her family. Thank you Helena for your passion around raising awareness.
Helena’s Experience of Joining our Family Programme
‘It became a safe place really, where you were not judged’
‘Hi, I’m Helena and I attend the family therapy group at Help Me Stop. I think leading up to joining the family therapy group was quite a stressful time for me. I was in the middle of studying, I was working and I was also supporting my loved one who was in their journey to recovery. I think those moments were particularly stressful because even though you have family and friends that you can share with, they don’t quite have the level of insight and appreciation for what you’re experiencing. And quite quickly after joining the family therapy sessions, it became a place for me not to just discuss anything specific around my loved one who is in recovery, but also to offload my own worries, whether that be more generally related to other aspects of my life. It became a safe place really, where you were not judged, you were encouraged to feel your emotions and to share as much as really you felt you wanted to share with others that were there to support you and give you insights as well.’
‘It’s Not All About the Loved One in Recovery’
‘It’s okay for you to switch off and refocus on your priorities and wellbeing’
‘I’ve attended the family therapy group at Help Me Stop for several months. Working with Lisa has really helped me to focus on myself and to recognise that if I need time out for myself, it’s not all about the loved one that’s in recovery – it’s okay for you to switch off from that and refocus on your own priorities and your own wellbeing. And I think this is something that I didn’t fully appreciate until I joined the group. Definitely what you see in other participants too that tend to come in, they are very much focused on their loved one’s recovery and as a result of that, they tend to deplete their own resources.’
New Ways of Relating to your Loved One in Addiction Recovery
Supporting loved ones in ‘living day to day’
‘I think the main highlight for me from attending the sessions is being able to reflect on myself and realise that how I think and how I operate is not necessarily how others think and operate. I’ve pretty much figured out now that my way of living, as in planning, forward planning and always having the next thing to work towards is not really helpful for my loved one in recovery. So I’ve learned not to overwhelm them with ideas and really just to support them in living the day to day. And I think the other aspect that took me a while to get my head around was this concept of them being in recovery and it being a lifelong journey for them. And also calling them an addict, that was quite hard for me to get my head around in the beginning because I would always try to conceptualise that as you are more than addict, which obviously they are – but I think this is part of the ownership of what the issue is and how they can go about tackling the problem. So, that’s probably been the main highlights for me attending the family therapy sessions.’
Get Help with Addiction Today
- If you or your loved one is suffering with an addiction, there is affordable help with addiction. Our programmes at Help Me Stop are accessible and confidential. Our family programme is open to up to two relatives or friends of clients who come into treatment with us.
- You just have to pick up the phone or message us to start the process. Call our team in confidence on 0208 191 9191.
- We offer a free addictions assessment. You can choose between our face-to-face, intensive Dayhab in central London and west London, as well as our Online Rehab, accessible with a computer and wifi from anywhere in the world.
- The majority of our staff team here at Help Me Stop are in long term addiction recovery. You will be met with understanding and solutions, not judgment or pressure. Family members will be supported to care for their needs, as well as how best to support their loved one with addiction.
- Our treatment programme centres around the 12-step approach to addiction treatment and it integrates other therapies, including person-centred therapy and CBT in group and one-to-one sessions. We use evidence-based approaches to ensure the best outcomes for our clients.
- Start your addiction recovery today by contacting us here.
